#21 The rulebook that could transform UK construction.

The Rule Book That Could Transform UK Construction.

Until recently, anybody could say their building was net zero — and define what that meant in their own terms. The UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard was created to change that. In this episode, Kev is joined by two people who know it inside out: Will Arnold, Head of Sustainable Materials at the Useful Simple Trust and the standard's technical author, and Apeksha Gupta, Principal Consultant in ESG and Net Zero at Greengage, who spent 2025 applying it to real buildings on behalf of real clients.

Between them, they cover what 200+ pilot projects taught the steering group, why the data infrastructure you put in place today will define your ability to decarbonise tomorrow, and how a heritage-listed office in the City of London came within touching distance of net zero aligned status. Will also reveals what's new in version one — including a practical completion on-track check that could be a game-changer for speculative developers — and explains why a coalition of global investors managing trillions in real estate concluded this was the only standard in the world that did what they needed.

If you work in the built environment, this is the episode to get you ready for version one.

Things mentioned in the show:

• UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (pilot version, launched late 2024; version one forthcoming): Pilot Version | UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard

• UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) — research that led to the standard (2021): UKGBC - The UK Green Building Council

• BREEAM / LEED / NABERS — certification schemes referenced in context: Certification for Sustainable Buildings | BREEAM, LEED rating system | U.S. Green Building Council, About NABERS UK | CIBSE Certification

• RICS Professional Standard on Whole Life Carbon — Whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) for the built environment

Website: https://www.hut22.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-couling/

Music credits:
March of the Bold by Balloon Planet (via Artlist.io)
Check out their stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/balloon-planet