COP26 House exceeds RIBA 2030 embodied carbon targets
At the end of the first week at COP26 it’s fantastic to see the world uniting in the urgent quest to lower carbon emissions and tackle Climate Change.
With this in mind we are delighted to share the results from the whole life embodied carbon assessment that has been undertaken for Beyond Zero Homes‘ COP26 House. The aim of the COP26 House has always been to minimise embodied carbon emissions, primarily using timber-based products in the design (for their typically lower embodied carbon) alongside other efficient and sustainable products, including our infrared heating panels.
The whole life embodied carbon assessment shows that the COP26 House, when compared with a house the same size and built according to RIBA’s ‘business as usual’ standard, achieves a 59% reduction – 32,000kg of embodied carbon (COP26 House) versus 78,000kg (business as usual benchmark). Compared with the 2030 Challenge target set by RIBA, the COP26 House achieves a super impressive result – a reduction of 22%.
We are incredibly excited to be a part of the Beyond Zero Homes collaboration and provide the heating solution (infrared heating panels) for this impressive COP26 House. The fabric first design has carefully considered all of the products used within the house build, across its full life cycle, to create a zero carbon house.
Herschel infrared panels ceiling mounted in the spacious interior
The inspired COP26 House design by architect Peter Smith, which focuses on utilising timber-based products, also plays a crucial role in storing carbon from the atmosphere. It is designed to store more carbon than is produced and its high levels of insulation mean minimal heating is required. It’s simple to understand why the COP26 House has been described as an “embodied carbon exemplar” and why we are so proud to be involved in showcasing what has been achieved.
COP26 House goes beyond zero to demonstrate affordable, efficient, beautiful, healthy and sustainable homes – an amazing example of zero carbon building and living that can help us meet our climate targets.
