INTERVIEW | DAVID PARTRIDGE As one of the most prominent figures in property, David Partridge is in an ideal position to oversee the governance of the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard and ensure a definition for net zero is embraced by those who develop, own and build real estate. Alex Smith reports MEASURING UP T he Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (NZCBS) is an ambitious cross-industry initiative that aims to provide a single agreed definition and methodology to determine what constitutes a net zero carbon building. It will set out performance targets and limits for operational and embodied carbon emissions in new and existing buildings, which will align with the UKs 2050 net zero targets. The development of the standard, which will apply to new and existing buildings, is being developed by a partnership of professional bodies: CIBSE, RICS, Institution of Structural Engineers, UKGBC, LETI, RIBA, the BRE Trust, the Carbon Trust and the Better Building Partnership. By March next year, 300 industry experts from these institutions will be working on the standard through various task and sector groups. Last month, the NZCBS group launched a call for evidence to help inform and guide the development of the standard. It wants consumption data from existing buildings, modelled performance data for buildings in design or construction, and embodied carbon data from both new construction and retrofit projects. The data will enable the NZCBS development team to understand the benchmark for energy performance, and what current and future best practice might look like (see How the standard will work on page 22). Related Argent chair David Partridge is chair of the governance board overseeing the development of the standard, to ensure it is technically and philosophically robust and fit for purpose. The board will engage with all parts of the built environment sector to encourage universal adoption of the standard. Its really important that we come together as an industry to agree a standard that everyone can be held to, says Partridge, who was a key speaker at CIBSEs Build2Perform conference at Londons ExCeL last month. There are myriad initiatives to try to cut down CO2 emissions, but without a common standard forged and agreed upon, these uncoordinated initiatives risk sowing confusion among stakeholders and, at worse, allow some to greenwash their assets. The governing board will engage with all parties in the property industry that dont necessarily work with engineering professionals, such as investors, lenders, funders, insurers and construction teams. The group behind the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard are essentially from professional design backgrounds, says Partridge. What we didnt have was those owning, developing and constructing the real estate. They are the critical stakeholders and the ones who will be using the standard. We can design like mad, but if other stakeholders dont buy into the standard, it will be left on a shelf. Partridge adds that the standard must align with stakeholders reporting and environmental, social and governance verification systems, and be in their economic interest: The technical side must be robust, but we mustnt overlook the markets ability to verify and certify the standard. Partridge is the former chairman of UKGBC, immediate past president of the British Property Federation and sits on the Construct Zero advisory board of the Construction Leadership Council. He was recently presented with the Presidents Award by the British Council for Offices in recognition of his significant contribution to 20 December 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Nov 22 pp20-21 David Partridge.indd 20 25/11/2022 16:44