Verification to the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard is now open

From today, buildings and their evidence can be submitted for verification by Bureau Veritas, allowing robust Net Zero Carbon Aligned claims.

The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (the Standard) was established in 2022 to provide a consistent, industry-agreed definition of net zero carbon which could cut through greenwash and robustly demonstrate in use performance. Following input from more than 350 industry experts, the Standard (Version 1) was published this March, and its verification scheme opens today, July 28.

The Standard covers both the methodology to measure a building’s carbon and energy performance, and the definition of a Net Zero Carbon Aligned building. The definition is conveyed through a number of mandatory limits, targets, and requirements; including removal of fossil fuels; introduction of on-site renewable electricity generation; and limits on upfront embodied carbon and measured in-use energy consumption. To demonstrate these requirements have been met, measured in-use building data must be submitted for third party verification.

Using the Standard is voluntary and allows claimants to align buildings to a 1.5°C science-led pathway, which was created through downscaling UK carbon and energy budgets. Offsets may not be used to meet any of the Standard’s limits, but they can be used once the mandatory requirements have been met to address the residual carbon.

Independent third-party checking is mandatory and means that any claims under the Standard are robust. Verifiers will apply expert knowledge to affirm the quality of the evidence, and whether it substantiates the conformity claim. The introduction of verification is a significant milestone for the industry, giving confidence that only buildings with demonstrable low carbon outcomes can earn Net Zero Carbon Aligned status.

The evidence requirements include 12-months of in-use energy data, as well as the as- built upfront embodied carbon data. To build confidence prior to this point, buildings can choose to undergo a verified check at Practical Completion to determine whether the building is On Track to meet the Standard in use.

An alternate designation called a Performance Evaluation is also available for buildings that may not yet meet all of the Standard’s requirements. This route requires buildings to undergo the same third-party verification process, using the Standard’s metrics and assessment methodology. The output is a Performance Evaluation Report: a robust ‘report card’ of the building’s decarbonisation progress. This route provides industry with a consistent and evidence-driven way of reporting in-use building performance.

Bureau Veritas (BV) has been appointed as the Standard’s Verification Administrator. In this role it runs and oversees the verification scheme and will also act as the first verifier. Wider verifier training and accreditation will open to the industry in 2027.

In order to verify a building, it must first be registered with Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard Ltd, then a quote can be obtained from Bureau Veritas to carry out the verification. Once appointed, Bureau Veritas will verify the claim using the methodology defined in the verification guidance available on the UK NZCBS website.

An explanatory webinar by UK NZCBS and BV on 15 September will walk through the verification process to support industry understanding.

Antoine Giros, Vice President, UK and Ireland, Bureau Veritas commented: “The launch of verification under the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard marks a pivotal shift in the industry, moving from predicted outcomes to measured, independently verified in-use performance. As Verification Administrator, Bureau Veritas will ensure that net-zero claims are accurate, reliable, and backed by rigorous assessment. Our role is to provide an independent, expertise in building performance and carbon assessment, to give investors, occupiers, and stakeholders genuine confidence in building performance. With nearly 200 years of credibility in testing, inspection and certification, we’re proud to support the industry’s transition towards a low- carbon future.”

Katie Jackson-Clements, CEO, UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard said: “The verification launch is an exciting moment not just for our team who have led the development of the Standard, but also for the hundreds of industry volunteers who have supported it along the way. We are hugely grateful to all our supporters, whose contributions have been essential to us.

“Our Verification Administrator, Bureau Veritas, are experts in certification. We have jointly established a collaborative partnership during the verification development, and look forward to continuing this now it is up and running. It is now only a matter of time before the first buildings are verified as Net Zero Carbon Aligned. These front-runners will represent environmental leadership within the UK built environment industry and pave the way for many more verifications to follow. ”

Buildings that have been verified will be featured publicly on the UK NZCBS website.