Establish net zero standards and requirements for new buildings

Furthermore, establishing net-zero standards and requirements is one of the most effective tools at regulators’ disposal to ensure that new buildings are designed with emissions reduction in mind. These regulations can include design considerations, construction material specifications, operational efficiency requirements and embodied carbon limitations. For example, procurement mandates specify the embodied carbon limits of materials that can be procured by developers for new buildings. Governments can also mandate that all new builds developed after a certain date meet a stringent set of net-zero requirements related to embodied carbon and efficiency capabilities. Some governments have introduced green public procurement mandates as a first step in testing these requirements for new buildings in the public sector. This is also a useful strategy in markets where it is more difficult to regulate private buildings or phase out older buildings relying on fossil-fuel heating.