As companies reassess their office needs in the wake of the pandemic, a new arms race to deliver net zero carbon space without the need for offsets is taking place in London, according to a recent Bloomberg report.
Dutch developer Edge, for example, recently committed to reach absolute zero carbon on its new developments by at least 2050. Its future projects will eventually be built and operated in a way that requires no tree planting to mitigate their impact. Australia’s Lendlease Corp. and Copenhagen-based Nordic Real Estate Partners A/S have made similar pledges.
If the firms achieve that goal, they will outpace net-zero developments being promoted by many of Europe’s largest landlords that require offsets to reach zero-carbon goals. Edge will continue to build projects that include offsets for now as it seeks to build more sustainable buildings that won’t need any offsets to reach net-zero.
Edge plans to immediately reduce embodied emissions for any new projects by at least 50%. That would mean a maximum upfront embodied carbon target of 500 kilograms of CO2 for each square meter.
Related Stories
| Mar 1, 2012
Aragon Construction completes 67,000-sf build-out in NYC
Aragon constructed the space in partnership with Milo Kleinberg Design Associates, (MKDA) and the Craven Corp. as the owner’s representative.
| Feb 27, 2012
Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital building receives LEED Gold
Innovative and sustainable design reflects best environmental building practices.
| Feb 22, 2012
Siemens earns LEED certification for Maryland office
The Beltsville facility, which also earned the ENERGY STAR Label for energy performance, implemented a range of energy efficiency, water conservation and sustainable operations measures as part of the certification process.
| Feb 22, 2012
Suffolk awarded Boston post office renovation project
Renovation of art deco landmark will add 21,000 square feet of retail and 110 new parking spaces.
| Feb 17, 2012
Tremco Inc. headquarters achieves LEED Gold certification
Changes were so extensive that the certification is for new construction and not for renovation; officially, the building is LEED-NC.
| Feb 15, 2012
Code allowance offers retailers and commercial building owners increased energy savings and reduced construction costs
Specifying air curtains as energy-saving, cost-cutting alternatives to vestibules in 3,000-square-foot buildings and larger has been a recent trend among consulting engineers and architects.
| Feb 8, 2012
World’s tallest solar PV-installation
The solar array is at the elevation of 737 feet, making the building the tallest in the world with a solar PV-installation on its roof.
| Feb 2, 2012
Call for Entries: 2012 Building Team Awards. Deadline March 2, 2012
Winning projects will be featured in the May issue of BD+C.
| Feb 2, 2012
Next phase of construction begins on Scripps Prebys Cardiovascular Institute
$456 million Institute will be comprehensive heart center for 21st Century.
| Feb 1, 2012
List of Top 10 States for LEED Green Buildings released?
USGBC releases list of top U.S. states for LEED-certified projects in 2011.