EWS IN BRIEF Sustainability focus in RIBA Plan of Work In the first overhaul of the guidance since 2013, RIBA has addressed sustainable design in its updated Plan of Work, published at the end of February. The updated document includes a 17-page sustainability project strategy, setting out specific actions and tasks at each of the eight stages. These replace the Green Overlay from 2011, and range from appointing a sustainability champion to carrying out postoccupancy evaluation. The document outlines the desired outcome for each stage, with reference to eight factors derived from UN development goals and includes significant postoccupancy actions. BP planning largest UK hydrogen project BP is planning to produce up to 1GW of blue hydrogen 20% of the UKs hydrogen target by 2030 in a project planned in Teesside, and supporting development of the region as UKs first hydrogen transport hub. It would be the UKs largest blue hydrogen production facility and it would capture and send for storage up to two million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually. The H2Teesside development is close to North Sea storage sites, pipe corridors and existing operational hydrogen storage and distribution capabilities. Industries in Teesside account for more than 5% of the UKs industrial emissions. CLC launches zero carbon plan The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has urged businesses to play their part in achieving netzero carbon construction by 2050. In the year the UK hosts COP26, the CLC says it is imperative that the construction sector steps up and supports the Race to Zero. It has unveiled its CO2nstruct Zero programme to drive down carbon. Priorities include: improving existing housing energy efficiency; scaling up industry capability to deliver low carbon heat solutions; and supporting heat pump deployment, trials of hydrogen heating, and heat networks. It also wants higher operational energy efficiency standards and more performance monitoring. Government to spend 1bn on decarbonising buildings Strategy to cut emissions and support rollout of new infrastructure The government has promised to spend more than 1bn on decarbonising construction and manufacturing as part of its new Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, which aims to cut emissions from commercial and industrial buildings by two-thirds in 15 years. In England, 932m has been allocated to 429 projects aimed at tackling carbon emissions from public buildings such as hospitals, schools and council buildings. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will support the deployment of low carbon heating systems, measures such as insulation and LED lighting. The strategy includes 171m from the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, given to nine engineering and design studies looking at the rollout of decarbonisation infrastructure, such as carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS), and the potential for hydrogen. The government will also bring in new rules on measuring the energy and carbon performance of the largest commercial and industrial buildings. It believes this could save business around 2bn a year in reduced energy costs by 2030. law our target to end our contribution to climate change, and now we are taking steps to be the industrial sector, said Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng. While reaching our climate targets will require extensive change across our economy, we must do so in a way that protects jobs, creates new industries and attracts inward investment, without pushing emissions and business abroad. UK technically halfway to net zero Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng The UK has cut its carbon emissions by 51% over the past 30 years, taking it technically over halfway to meeting its net-zero target, after a record 11% drop in emissions last year at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the website Carbon Brief. However, it warned that emissions were likely to rebound this year as the economy recovers and that 2020s sharp reduction was largely one-off and unique to the coronavirus pandemic, with oil demand slumping as economic output plummeted by around 10%. power has been the main driving force behind deep cuts in emissions since 1990, along with cleaner and more 350,000 jobs needed to deliver net zero The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) believes the industry will need to recruit more than 350,000 people by 2028 to keep the governments plan for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 on target. In its report Building skills for net zero, the CITB calls for a new wave of green building professionals, aimed at tackling emissions from existing buildings. The move to cleaner, greener construction presents big opportunities to make the industry more attractive to new recruits and upskill the existing workforce, the report states. It adds that up to 27 million domestic and two million non-domestic engineering services sector to attract, train and retain many more people to help us to deliver a green CITB strategy and policy director Steve Radley said: Net zero presents a huge challenge for construction, but an even greater opportunity to create a more productive industry thats also a more attractive career option. We can get there by being clear on the key skills well need, making sure we is already delivering what is needed, but it needs to happen at scale. 6 April 2021 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE April 21 pp06-07 News.indd 6 26/03/2021 17:09