In recognition of Net Zero Week 2023 we’re looking at what net zero is, what Morris & Spottiswood are already doing to work towards it, and how we can work with you to achieve it.

These are challenging times; we’re all facing high energy costs, and the impact of ever-increasing interest rates and inflation. It’s no surprise that with so much day-to-day pressure, that mandatory regulations relating to net zero can start to feel overwhelming – especially if you’re unsure of the best way forward on the road to net zero. There’s a lot of information out there, and not all of it is easy to digest. That’s why it makes sense to work with a company that’s already implementing ideas and ways of working that can help you realise your net zero goals.

First things first, what does net zero mean and how does it differ from carbon neutral? Whilst the two initially sound interchangeable, there are significant differences between them and how they’re achieved. Carbon neutral is comparatively simple, it can be achieved by off-setting the carbon emissions of your business and activities - this could be achieved by planting trees to help balance out the impact of a long-haul business flight.

Net zero, however, is about reducing emissions as close to zero as possible by adopting new practices and embedding them in the way you do business, so there’s less need for offsetting as there’s less to offset. That’s not to say that offsetting doesn’t play a part, but in a net zero journey it is the last resort and is used only to balance out unavoidable emissions.

So how might net zero legislation affect you and your business?

There are already several net zero and environmental regulations which can have an impact on new build and refurbishment projects, or on properties in general. Some of these regulations vary depending on whether you’re in Scotland or England and Wales, whilst some apply across the whole of the UK. As we have bases across the UK, we’re well placed to help you ensure that your project meets the required regulations for your location.

Some of the main regulations and guidance that everyone in our industry needs to be aware of – and adhering to – include: The Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard (a voluntary standard, launched by the Scottish Government) , The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES); this came into force in England and Wales in April 2018 and applies to private rented residential and non-domestic properties, and the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard; introduced by leading industry organisations who have joined forces to champion a single methodology which will enable the industry to robustly prove their built assets are net zero carbon and in line with our nation’s climate targets.

In a similar vein, the Scottish Governments Heat in Building Strategy is intended to prohibit the use of direct emission heating systems in new builds by April 2024 – to obtain a building warrant, new builds in Scotland must have heating systems (such as heat pumps) which produce zero direct greenhouse gas emissions at the point of use. Plus, of course, the Climate Change Act, and the associated devolved legislation – which impacts all sectors across the UK – and is focussed on climate change, and the UK becoming a low carbon economy, by setting legally binding climate change mitigation targets.

No journey can succeed without a map, and we’ve already produced our own Net Zero Roadmap outlining our goals, targets and how we’ll achieve them; it’s an evolving document that’s designed to be responsive to changing regulations, circumstances and to reflect areas where we can exceed our goals. As you would expect we’ve set ourselves tough targets, but we believe that they’re within our reach, and we’re constantly seeking new ideas and initiatives for things we can do better, or ways that we can push ourselves even further. It’s an approach we apply to everything we do and one of the reasons we believe we’re able to support each client in achieving their own net zero goals.

Some of the initiatives our teams are currently delivering across a range of projects and services include Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and Passsivhaus Retrofit. A recent Passivhaus installation project is expected to lead to energy savings of up to 90% compared to typical building stock, and of 75% compared to average new builds.

We’ve also made headway when it comes to our Scope 3 carbon emissions (in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) and have utilised various methods to analyse specific categories of Scope 3 emissions, with the aim of targeting the ones we can make the biggest impact on. In future we will strategically target the remaining Scope 3 emissions.

It’s not just our own net zero goals we’re working towards achieving. We offer an ever-expanding range of initiatives and solutions to our clients and are dedicated to developing more. We believe that by working with our clients and offering practical ways to reach net zero, together we’ll make a real difference.

We’re already considering the embodied carbon, as well as the operational carbon, implications of every project we’re involved in at every stage of the project lifecycle. We think outside the box – not every solution is obvious, not every route to net zero is straight forward; sometimes bold and unconventional thinking is required to reduce carbon (and commercial) costs in a project.

Our experience and UK wide network of branches and talent helps us reduce carbon emissions during construction, by enabling us to use local supply chains. We also keep emissions down by considering low carbon fuels, keeping waste to a minimum, minimising energy usage on site and harnessing the benefits of pre-fabrication. And it’s not just new build projects that benefit from our approach, we offer a range of turnkey solutions to reduce carbon in existing buildings, such as building fabric improvements and plant and building optimisation.

We’re constantly exploring and implementing new ideas, solutions, and initiatives as our journey to net zero, and those of our clients, evolve. We plan to share more stories as we make more progress and develop new ideas.