Building Research & Information

Decarbonisation: cross cutting enablers for a net-zero carbon built environment

While significant progress has been made in areas such as low-carbon materials, building technologies, and operational energy efficiency, current approaches often remain fragmented. Too often, decarbonisation efforts are limited to individual phases of the building process, overlooking the need for a holistic, lifecycle perspective. In particular, building design plays a critical role not only in shaping emissions during construction but also in influencing long-term operational performance. This Special Issue will focus on the role of building design across all stages of the building lifecycle, from conception and design, through construction, operation, and eventual deconstruction, to chart a pathway towards truly net-zero carbon buildings. The focus is on decarbonisation and the cross-cutting enablers necessary to support the global transition to net-zero carbon built environment.

Manuscripts are invited that address the following issues:

• Holistic design and planning. Integrating lifecycle carbon assessment in early-stage design; design management strategies for net-zero carbon pathways; forecasting and modelling; circular economy strategies; holistic approaches.
• Operation and deconstruction. Smart operations, digital twins, data-driven analytics and IoT-enabled building management for carbon reduction. Post-occupancy evaluation and facilities management for sustained low-carbon outcomes. Designing for adaptability, disassembly, and material recovery at end-of-life.

Cross-cutting enablers. Multidisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement across the building lifecycle; workforce skills and competences for low-carbon design and delivery; financial, business, and policy mechanisms to support lifecycle decarbonisation initiatives.