R IB A

RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge 1

2030
C L I M AT E
CHALLENGE

Sign up to take the RIBA

2030 Climate Challenge at
www.architecture.com/2030challenge
RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge 2

Take Action Now

On 29 June 2019 RIBA Council voted to join the global declaration of an environment and climate emergency,
two days after the UK government passed a law to require the UK to end its contribution to global warming by
2050 by bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero1.
The climate emergency demands urgent action and leadership by architects and the wider construction industry.
We must act now, ensuring that new and retrofit buildings deliver net zero whole life carbon in advance of any future
regulation. The recent Green Construction Board Buildings Mission 2030 report2 shows that net zero operational
carbon is already possible. The challenge for the profession is to extend good practice to all future work, as highlighted
by the World Green Building Council’s latest report on net zero embodied carbon3.
Net zero whole life carbon should be prioritised in lower density areas using on-site renewables. While for urban
areas net zero whole life carbon will likely require additional offsite renewable energy generation and certified
woodland offsetting4 in the UK.

Baseline
regulatory
minimum
Business as Usual Worst Case Climate Change Outcomes

RIBA
2020
targets

RIBA
2025
targets
Best Practice
Trajectory

RIBA Satisfactory Minimum Unsustainable

2030
targets Trajectory Trajectory Practice

2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050

RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge Trajectories

To ensure that the strong words of the declaration of a climate emergency are matched by actions, the RIBA has
set RIBA Chartered Practices a challenge of achieving the following reductions as soon as possible:
1. Reduce operational energy demand by at least 75%, before UK offsetting
2. Reduce embodied carbon by at least 50-70%, before UK offsetting
3. Reduce potable water use by at least 40%
4. Achieve all core health and wellbeing targets (set out below)
These reductions will also form the basis of RIBA’s recommendations to Government for future Building Regulations
requirements.

1
Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 2019)
2
Buildings Mission 2030: Background Report to Recommendations from the Green Construction Board in response to the 2030 Buildings Mission (2019)
3
World Green Building Council Advancing Net Zero embodied carbon call to action report (2019)
4
Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Framework Definition (2019)
RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge 3

RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge Targets

The RIBA has developed targets for operational energy use, embodied carbon and water use reduction5. These take
into account the latest recommendations from the Green Construction Board6, and have been developed by the RIBA
in consultation with other UK professional bodies. The targets are progressive yet realistic, and a vital first step to
ensure the construction industry has delivered the significant reductions necessary by 2030 in order to have a realistic
prospect of achieving net zero carbon for the whole UK building stock by 2050.
These targets are based on domestic and commercial buildings and may need further refinement by sector, building
type, occupancy and geographical location. The RIBA will seek to develop these additional metrics with other
UK professional bodies. However, given the urgency, we cannot wait for the perfect benchmarks to be developed.
The RIBA recommends that project teams aim for a percentage reduction of the current baselines and minimum
regulatory standards, as shown in the trajectory diagram above, by using the targets set out in the detailed tables below.
RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge target metrics for domestic buildings
RIBA Sustainable Current
Outcome Metrics Benchmarks 2020 Targets 2025 Targets 2030 Targets Notes
Operational Energy 146 kWh/m2 /y < 105 kWh/m2/y < 70 kWh/m2/y < 0 to 35 kWh/m2/y UKGBC Net Zero Framework
kWh/m2/y (Ofgem benchmark) 1. Fabric First
2. Efficient services, and low-
carbon heat
3. Maximise onsite renewables
4. Minimum offsetting using
UK schemes (CCC)

Embodied Carbon 1000 kgCO2e/m2 < 600 kgCO2e/m2 < 450 kgCO2e/m2 < 300 kgCO2e/m2 RICS Whole Life Carbon (A-C)
kgCO2e/m2 (M4i benchmark) 1. Whole Life Carbon Analysis
2. Using circular economy
Strategies
3. Minimum offsetting using
UK schemes (CCC)

Potable Water Use 125 l/p/day < 110 l/p/day < 95 l/p/day < 75 l/p/day CIBSE Guide G
Litres/person/day (Building Regulations
England and Wales)

RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge target metrics for non-domestic buildings

RIBA Sustainable Current
Outcome Metrics Benchmarks 2020 Targets 2025 Targets 2030 Targets Notes
Operational Energy 225 kWh/m /y 2 < 170 kWh/m /y 2 < 110 kWh/m /y 2 < 0 to 55 kWh/m /y2 UKGBC Net Zero Framework
kWh/m2/y DEC D rated DEC C rating DEC B rating DEC A rating 1. Fabric First
2. Efficient services, and low-
(CIBSE TM46 carbon heat
benchmark) 3. Maximise onsite renewables
4. Minimum offsetting using
UK schemes (CCC)

Embodied Carbon 1100 kgCO2e/m2 < 800 kgCO2e/m2 < 650 kgCO2e/m2 < 500 kgCO₂e/m2 RICS Whole Life Carbon (A-C)
kgCO2e/m2 (M4i benchmark) 1. Whole Life Carbon Analysis
2. Using circular economy
Strategies
3. Minimum offsetting using
UK schemes (CCC)

Potable Water Use >16 l/p/day < 16 l/p/day < 13 l/p/day < 10 l/p/day CIBSE Guide G
Litres/person/day (CIRA W11
benchmark)

RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge target metrics for all buildings

Best Practice
Health Metrics References
Overheating 25-28 °C maximum for 1% of occupied hours CIBSE TM52, CIBSE TM59
Daylighting > 2% av. daylight factor, 0.4 uniformity CIBSE LG10
CO2 levels < 900 ppm CIBSE TM40
Total VOCs < 0.3 mg/m )3
Approved Document F
Formaldehyde < 0.1 mg/m )
3
BREEAM

5
Further guidance can be found in the RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide (November 2019)
6
Buildings Mission 2030: Background Report to Recommendations from the Green Construction Board in response to the 2030 Buildings Mission (2019)
RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge 4

RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge Checklist

Meeting the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets is essential if architects are to play their part in mitigating
climate change and limiting the rise of global temperature to below 1.5°C.
Action from government is also critical and the RIBA will campaign for Planning and Building Regulations to
meet and/or exceed these targets as soon as possible.
The RIBA’s 2030 Climate Challenge Checklist sets out the actions that Chartered Practices will need to take
to meet the challenge targets.
Sign up at www.architecture.com/2030challenge and access tips and tools to assist RIBA Chartered Practices
in taking the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and designing sustainable buildings.
Are you ready to take the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and commit to meeting the targets?

Existing building stock

Assist existing clients with carrying out post occupancy evaluation and suggest strategies for fine-tuning
existing buildings to reduce energy use and operational carbon emissions7.

Whole life carbon

Target net zero whole life carbon8 for new and retrofitted buildings by 2030, by following the RIBA 2030
Climate Challenge targets.

Operational energy and carbon emissions

Target < 55 kWh/m2/y operational energy use for non-domestic buildings by 2030 (minimum DEC A or
75% reduction in operational energy as compared to CIBSE TM46 benchmarks9), including maximising the
use of on-site renewables.
Target < 35 kWh/m2/y operational energy use for domestic buildings by 2030 (minimum 75% reduction
compared to current Ofgem benchmarks10) or the equivalent of Passivhaus11.
Design using realistic predictions of the operational energy target to avoid the performance gap and report
the energy use by fuel type and include the full breakdown of regulated and unregulated energy use. The RIBA
recommends the use of rigorous design for performance methods such as CIBSE TM5412 or Better Building
Partnership Design for Performance13.
Use low carbon heating, for example heat pumps or connections to district heat networks, and target no new
connections to the gas grid or use of fossil fuel boilers, and target space heat demand of 15-20 kWh/m2/y, by
2025 at the latest, as recommended in the Committee of Climate Change UK housing: fit for the future? report14.
Offset remaining carbon emissions by contributing to UK renewable energy projects that work towards
decarbonising the national and/or local grid.

7
RIBA Plan for Use Guide (November 2019)
8
Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Framework Definition (2019)
9
CIBSE TM46: Energy Benchmarks (2008)
10
Ofgem benchmarks from Buildings Mission 2030: Background Report to Recommendations from the Green Construction Board in response
to the 2030 Buildings Mission (2019)
11
Passivhaus requirements
12
CIBSE TM54: Evaluating Operational Energy Performance of Buildings at the Design Stage (2013)
13
Better Buildings Partnership Design for Performance (2019)
14
Committee of Climate Change UK housing: fit for the future?
RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge 5

Embodied energy and carbon emissions

Prioritise the retrofit of existing buildings where possible.
Use the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment professional statement 201715 to
assess embodied carbon.
Target embodied carbon of 500 kgCO2e/m2 for non-domestic buildings and 300 kgCO2e/m2 for domestic buildings
(minimum 50-70% reduction in embodied carbon compared to the Movement for Innovation benchmarks16),
by prioritising building retrofit and using low carbon healthy materials that are responsibly and ethically sourced.
Offset remaining carbon emissions by UK offsite renewable energy projects and/or certified woodland and
reforestation projects17.

Water use
Target 10 litres/person/day for non-domestic buildings and 75 litres/person/day for domestic buildings
(minimum 40% reduction in potable water use compared to CIRIA guidance18 and UK Building Regulations
requirements19), by minimising water demand, optimising building systems, and harvesting rainwater as well
as recycling and reusing water on-site.

Indoor health
Avoid unintended consequences of poor health and wellbeing by meeting key health metrics set out in the
RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge.

Biodiversity
Leave a site with significantly enhanced biodiversity and more green cover than before development.

Delivery
Follow the RIBA Plan of Work Sustainability Strategy20 and RIBA Plan for Use Guide21 and undertake at least
light touch post occupancy evaluation22 to gather predicted and actual performance of existing and new
building projects and upload to the RIBA 2030 Challenge platform (when available), with clients’ permission.
For further guidance on the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets and additional sustainability metrics see the
RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide5.

15
The RIBA recommends using categories A-C of the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment Professional Statement (2017).
Design tools exist that embody the RICS embodied carbon categories to help ensure consistency and equivalence of measurement.
See also: RIBA Embodied and Whole Life Carbon Assessment for Architects (2017)
16
The Movement for Innovation Sustainability Working Group Report: Environmental Performance Indicators for Sustainable Construction (2001)
17
Reforestation projects include the Trillion Tree Campaign, Woodland Trust, and Trees for Life.
18
CIRA W11: Key Performance Indicators for water use in offices
19
Building Regulation 36, guidance can be found in Approved Document Part G
20
RIBA Plan of Work 2019 (November 2019)
21
RIBA Plan for Use Guide (November 2019). Members may wish to use formal BSRIA Soft Landings processes
22
In addition to the RIBA Plan for Use Guide see Housing Fit for Purpose, Performance, Feedback and Learning, Fionn Stevenson (2019)
for domestic post occupancy evaluation
© Royal Institute of British Architects 2019

Royal Institute of British Architects

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