We have known intuitively, anecdotally, and through isolated project successes, that offsite construction and industrialised processes can slash carbon, reduce waste, improve energy performance, and transform delivery. Yet when CIRIA and BUILDOFFSITE published their landmark 2020 report on the quantifiable benefits of MMC, the conclusion was stark: “Of the environmental impacts, the only one that can be assessed based upon the project information received is construction waste.” Six years on, that statement still echoes across the industry.
However, the landscape has shifted. Standards have matured. Clients are demanding measurable decarbonisation. The supply chain is investing in carbon literacy, digital tools, and whole-life assessment, and exemplar projects – real, data rich, independently verifiable projects – are finally emerging.
Net Zero Carbon Champions (NZCC) is a major research initiative designed to identify, assess, and publish eight to ten case studies that demonstrate measurable net zero carbon leadership across the built environment. This is not another glossy brochure of ‘best practice’ but is a structured, evidence-based, industry wide effort to close the decarbonisation evidence gap finally.
Why this project matters now
The UK’s built environment is responsible for around 40% of national carbon emissions. Decarbonisation is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it is a regulatory, commercial, and societal imperative. Yet the industry still struggles with fragmented data, inconsistent reporting, and a lack of comparable benchmarks. The NZCC project tackles this head on by using a wide range established, authoritative frameworks including: RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA), UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, Building EPC/SAP data, EPDs, the Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD), LETI Embodied Carbon Reporting Templates, Green Book Live benchmarks and IStructE embodied carbon guidance.
By grounding each case study in these recognised methodologies, the project ensures that the evidence produced is robust, comparable, and usable across the sector. This is not about claims – it is about proof.
CBAM: The new decarbonisation pressure point
From 1 January 2027, the UK will introduce its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) – a levy on imported carbon intensive materials such as steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, and hydrogen. For construction, this is transformative. Amongst many pressure points, CBAM will increase costs for high carbon imported materials and reward low-carbon UK-manufactured alternatives. It will also accelerate the shift to circularity and reuse and strengthen the business case for offsite manufacturing.
CBAM fundamentally changes the economics of carbon. It prices carbon into every tonne of material entering the UK. Organisations that cannot quantify embodied carbon will be exposed. Those that can, will gain competitive advantage. The NZCC project arrives at exactly the right moment, seeking the evidence base the sector needs to prepare for CBAM and thrive under it.
What Net Zero Carbon Champions will deliver
Each case study will document measurable decarbonisation outcomes across the full lifecycle of a project – embodied, operational, in use, and end of life carbon – using the RICS WLCA structure (A0–A5, B1–B8, C1–C4, and D1–D2). This includes:
• Upfront carbon (materials, manufacturing, transport, installation)
• Operational carbon (energy, water, user activities)
• In use carbon (maintenance, repair, replacement, refurbishment)
• End of life carbon (deconstruction, transport, waste processing, disposal)
• Circular economy impacts (reuse, recycling, recovery, exported utilities).
The aim is simple: to show, with data, how offsite and traditional approaches are evolving to deliver measurable decarbonisation.
The case studies will span multiple contexts – residential, social infrastructure, environmental infrastructure, energy, transport, and hybrid projects – ensuring wide relevance across the industry. They will also cover a range of offsite construction methods and material as well as traditional construction and 3D printing. This breadth is intentional as decarbonisation is not a single-method challenge, it is a whole sector transformation.
Decarbonisation is not achieved through spreadsheets alone. It requires leadership, collaboration, and innovation and these case studies will show how champions have navigated barriers, built coalitions, and delivered measurable impact. The NZCC project will provide the evidence base the sector has been missing – one that will strengthen the case for offsite and industrialised methods.
GET INVOLVED – A CALL FOR EVIDENCE
CIRIA and BUILDOFFSITE are calling for organisations across the built environment to submit projects that demonstrate measurable decarbonisation. If your project has data, the industry needs to see it. We are seeking case studies that include:
• WLCA ready embodied and operational carbon data
• EPDs, BECD aligned material information, or verified product data
• Circularity outcomes such as reuse, disassembly, or PMV uplift
• Digital tools used for carbon tracking or asset performance
• Comparisons with traditional delivery approaches
• Demonstrable NZC targets and measurable progress.
You have until 30 September to submit your ‘Champion’ project. Submit your application or express interest in joining the Project Steering Group as a collaborative funder at: [email protected]
