ADD2610 Good Growth by Design: ‘Designing for Net-Zero 2030’ research commission

1.1    The Mayor of London has set a target for London to be net zero carbon by 2030. As set out in the Pathways to Net Zero Carbon by 2030 report, achieving this target requires an approximate 40 per cent reduction in the total heat demand of our buildings. This presents a massive challenge for the built environment / development sector, which urgently needs to adopt new ways of designing much more efficient buildings with truly sustainable resources.

1.2    Policy SI 2 of The London Plan sets a net zero carbon target for major development. All major development is required to achieve a 35% minimum regulated carbon emission reduction above the current building regulations, with the remainder being offset. Policy SI 2 also requires whole-life cycle carbon (WLC) emissions to be reported and reduced. Additional guidance has been provided to support these policies, such as the Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments London Plan Guidance and the Energy Assessment Guidance. This guidance supports technical calculations of carbon, offsetting and energy use, however there is no current guidance that collates a range of case studies for future developments to learn from. 

1.3    A resource that showcases and celebrates exemplar projects (buildings and masterplans) that are driving innovation in the sector to go beyond required standards and learns from projects that do not quite meet the required standards, will support achievement of these policy objectives.

1.4    The Designing for Net-Zero 2030 research commission seeks to highlight exemplar sustainability measures which the built environment sector can investigate to use in future developments. It will primarily focus on showcasing a set of illustrated best practice examples (approx.15-20) of net-zero construction across a range of scales, typologies and uses to fulfil the Mayor’s ambition for good growth.

1.5    From these case studies the commission will establish a set of key principles that can help guide delivery of community positive, zero carbon design, in line with current policy. The commission will also set out lessons learnt from the case study projects and indicate the next steps required to help us meet our climate targets and inform future policy.

1.6    The commission will be taken forward as part of the Good Growth by Design (GGbD) programme. This is the Mayor’s programme to promote quality and inclusion in the built environment to support good growth. It recognises the role of design in improving development and delivering quality of life in an ever-denser city. This research commission falls under ‘Pillar 1 – Setting Standards’. 

1.7    The GGbD programme is supported by Mayor’s Design Advocates (MDAs) and Advocate Organisations. The MDAs are independent and impartial built environment experts, and provide support, advice, critique and expertise on London’s built environment. This project seeks to use the ‘hive’ mind of the MDAs, drawing on the MDAs networks and our advocate organisations to collect project case studies that meet certain net-zero criteria.

1.8    A consultant team will be appointed to work alongside the GLA leads and MDAs, as well as a range of other sector organisations including London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The consultant team will be multi-disciplinary with strong experience in delivering projects with exemplar sustainable / zero-carbon design. 

1.9    The consultant team will be procured in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code, in liaison with GLA group procurement (TfL) who will determine the procurement strategy. Officers will ensure that appropriate contract documentation is put in place and executed by the successful bidder(s) and the GLA before the commencement of services. 
 

2.1    The commission will be an important resource in supporting delivery of the Mayor’s Net Zero 2030 target. It will do this by highlighting how the development sector can respond to the target and by supporting and encouraging the sector to deliver development that is good for, and ready for, our future climate.  

2.2    It will draw on some of the best of both delivered and proposed project examples that have considered climate change and emissions reduction and that are aligned with London’s climate targets. It will set out best practice case studies for London, with a focus at both the building and masterplan/neighbourhood scale. It will also as needed promote a few ‘what ifs’ to further chart the path ahead. 

2.3    The main deliverable will be a well communicated and visually engaging report that follows the GLA Good Growth by Design style guide. A small run of 150 hard copies of the document will be printed. Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) guidance states that PDF documents may present accessibility issues and so alternative formats should be available alongside any PDF documents. Furthermore, it is useful for designers and commissioners to have hard copies available for ease of reference. The report will also be made available online on the GLA website.

2.4    The research commission is part of the Good Growth by Design (GGbD) programme and seeks to inform the implementation of Mayoral policy and related strategies, thought leadership on net-zero design in London, and future investment into London’s places and neighbourhoods. Up to £1,200 will be spent on printing costs, subject to tender, and the remaining amount will be spent on the consultancy.
 

3.1    The Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the GLA is subject to a public-sector equality duty (“the Duty”) and must have ‘due regard’ to the need to (i) eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; (ii) advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not; and (iii) foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status. 

3.2    Throughout the process relating to the approvals sought in this decision form, due regard has been had to the legislation outlined above. Through the preparation of the programme and all research and communication strands, the GLA will require partners to evaluate the potential impacts regarding protected characteristic groups. Any project must minimise disadvantages to all protected characteristic groups within society. 

3.3    As recognised in the Pathways to Net Zero Carbon by 2030 report, the cost of no action to reduce carbon emissions will impact lower income Londoners the most, with overheating, toxic air and flooding all posing a risk. We must rapidly reduce emissions to limit the worst effects of the climate emergency and deliver a safe and healthy environment for all Londoners. This research aims to ensure that future development coming forward is reaching this requirement and will provide guidance and demonstrate best practice to inform this.

3.4    The GGbD programme has been progressive in advocating for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the built environment. A fundamental objective of the programme is addressing the role of design in forming a more inclusive city, both through the built environment itself and the make-up of the designers, planners and decision makers who are active in city-making. 

3.5    The MDA sounding board brought together to guide this project are experts from the field of public realm, providing particular guidance on the inclusion and consideration of groups protected by the Equality Act in the research. Also, the Mayors Peer Outreach Workers will be involved in the development of phase 2 and as part of the GLA family client team. 

3.6    Appointed consultants will be expected to uphold the Equality responsibilities of the GLA, and these expectations will be set out in the brief. 

3.7    All published outputs will be available in accessible formats.
 

4.1    Risk register

4.2    This research commission joins other Mayoral guidance to support planning applicants and local authorities in complying with the Mayor’s climate mitigation policies. These are:

• Energy Assessment Guidance 2020
• Carbon Offset Guidance 2022
• ‘Be Seen’ - Energy Monitoring Guidance
• Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments Guidance
• Energy Monitoring Reports

4.3    In 2018, the Mayor published the London Environment Strategy which showcases key policies and programmes to achieve net zero targets. The UK, along with 178 other countries, signed up to the Paris Agreement in 2015 to attempt to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The Mayor’s London Environment Strategy was one of the first city plans published to be compliant with the highest ambition of the Paris Agreement.

4.4    The 1.5C Compatible Plan sets out what the Mayor has committed to do, alongside key steps to help achieve this. Increasing the number of buildings retrofitted with energy efficiency measures is a key message within this document, and this research commission will help to implement this ambition.

4.5    There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1    £40,000 is required to commission sustainability research on buildings and neighbourhoods to support the City in becoming Net Zero by 2030.

5.2    The requested funds will be spent on consultancy services and the printing of up to 150 copies of the final report.

5.3    This expenditure will be funded by the 2022-23 budget allocated to the Planning and Regeneration Unit’s Good Growth by Design budget.
 

• Appendix 1 – ‘Designing for a new climate’ Consultant Brief
• Appendix 2 – ‘Designing for a new climate’ Case Study Nomination Form