Latest UKGBC Reports Highlight Major Opportunities to Cut Energy Use and Accelerate Net Zero in Non-Domestic Buildings

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has unveiled two new industry reports highlighting practical and scalable pathways to reduce carbon emissions across non-domestic buildings, with a strong focus on energy optimisation and retrofit strategies.

Launched as part of UKGBC’s ongoing net zero workstream, the reports - Delivering Net Zero: Practical Actions for Optimising Energy Use and Building the Case for Net Zero: Retrofitting Retail & Logistics Buildings - provide a clear, evidence-based framework for immediate and long-term action across the built environment.

Optimisation: Immediate, Low-Cost Impact

Findings from the optimisation report demonstrate that operational improvements alone can deliver significant carbon savings. Non-domestic buildings currently account for approximately 23 percent of built environment carbon emissions, yet relatively simple optimisation measures can reduce energy use by around 25 percent .

The report emphasises that optimisation is typically low-cost, low-disruption, and low in embodied carbon, making it one of the most accessible starting points for organisations. Key actions include improving HVAC performance, lighting efficiency, and building controls, supported by better use of data and stakeholder alignment.

A structured four-step approach, engaging stakeholders, aligning incentives, leveraging data, and taking targeted action, is identified as critical to successful implementation.

Retrofit: A Strategic, Whole-Life Approach

Complementing this, the retail and logistics retrofit report outlines a longer-term, strategic pathway to decarbonisation. It highlights that a significant proportion of the UK’s retail and logistics stock is ageing, with over 80 percent of buildings constructed before 2000, reinforcing the urgency of retrofit interventions.

The report positions retrofit as an iterative process, ranging from optimisation and light upgrades through to deep retrofit and renewable integration. Crucially, it calls for interventions to be aligned with key trigger points such as lease events or plant replacement cycles, ensuring cost-effective delivery and minimising disruption.

A strong emphasis is placed on whole-life carbon assessment, encouraging organisations to balance operational savings with embodied carbon impacts, whilst fostering collaboration and data sharing across stakeholders to scale progress.

Industry Call to Action

Together, the reports reinforce a clear message that achieving net zero in non-domestic buildings will require both immediate operational improvements and long-term strategic investment. They also highlight the importance of:

• Data-driven decision making
• Cross-sector collaboration
• Alignment between landlords and occupiers
• Embedding net zero into asset management strategies

By combining quick-win optimisation measures with planned retrofit programmes, the built environment sector has a significant opportunity to accelerate progress towards net zero, whilst delivering cost savings and improving building performance.

For more information and to download the reports visit the UKGBC website:

• Practical Actions for Optimising Energy Use
• Building the Case for Net Zero: Retrofitting Retail & Logistics Buildings

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