Developed by industry experts and supported by many others, the proposed Part Z of the Building Regulations was introduced to parliament last week by MP Duncan Baker. It was supported by members and its second hearing in the House of Commons will be in mid-March.

Part Z and the accompanying Approved Document Z consider embodied carbon and propose that all major projects will have to produce carbon assessments which consider the construction process and not just operational energy and carbon as Part L does now.

The assessment will lead to carbon targets being established. The proposed assessment method aligns with that of the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment and considers the carbon targets set by the RIBA Climate Challenge 2030 and LETI standards. There is real hope that Part Z will become a formal part of the Building Regulations from 2025, when the Future Homes and Future Buildings standards will be introduced by government.

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