Late in 2023, a dedicated cross-sector research group was set up to better understand the upfront carbon emissions associated with Cat B Office fit out projects. Created as an extension of the Offices Sector Group for the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, the team sought to obtain data on the current industry performance level of Cat B office fit outs. This information is intended to be used in the limit-setting exercise to help apportion the industry’s remaining carbon budget, before release of the Beta Test version of the Standard in Summer 2024.

In this session we discuss the findings along with the challenges of defining a performance level for a project type that is so variable. The panel will also discuss what the research means for the cumulative upfront carbon emissions of office fit out projects and the importance of stakeholders limiting such impacts.