Opinion piece by James Parker, Managing Editor, Architects’ Datafile (ADF)

To keep the magazines as closely aligned as we can with our audiences’ concerns, and to bring them even richer content, we embarked on a programme of ‘Industry Viewfinder’ reader research in 2020. We’ve produced several white papers on the back of these surveys, the most recent of which was called ‘The Road to Zero Carbon 2030-2050’ and looked at the crucial issue of architects’ views on the feasibility of hitting our carbon emissions targets – both in the medium and longer term.

Alongside several other current global challenges, none ranks higher in construction than attempting to reduce our carbon emissions to control the earth’s temperature for future generations. According to the World Green Building Council, buildings are globally responsible for half of the world’s total CO2 emissions and resource consumption, and 36% of global energy consumption.

In 2019 RIBA issued its 2030 Climate Challenge, covering a range of targets across different sectors. This is designed to make hitting the overall net zero legal obligation in 2050 more possible, but alongside the 2025 Future Home Standard presents a raft of challenges.

Our survey confirmed some of the aspects you might expect when it came to architects’ angle on the ways forward, and the prognosis for success. As an example, insulation was seen as the most critical element to focus on to achieve low carbon designs (followed by air-tightness measures, and low carbon heating). 

When it came to the wider factors which might hamper our carbon targets, the global economic situation was seen as a bigger risk than industry supply problems, skills shortages, and price inflation.

Our readers (74% of them) thought that the RIBA’s 2030 targets, although voluntary, were essential if we are to hit the 2050 zero goal. And most (who expressed a view) believed that the RIBA’s specific ‘energy targets’, created for each sector, could realistically be achieved by 2030. Similarly, the RIBA targets on wellness alongside carbon reductions – covering minimum daylighting and maximum overheating, plus VOCs, formaldehyde and internal CO2, were largely seen as achievable.

As part of expanding our offer to readers, we have published several white papers based on Industry Viewfinder Research, across our titles. For ADF these have included Exploring Current Thinking in Offsite Construction (November 2020), Exploring Current Thinking in Passivhaus (May 2021), The Future of Tall Buildings (November 2021), Sustainability and Wellness in Commercial Buildings (February 2022), and Fire Safety and Project Accountability (September 2022).

All ADF white papers can be downloaded from architectsdatafile.co.uk – look out for much more in 2023!