As the Built Environment currently accounts for close to 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions, there is no pathway to Net-Zero which does not involve seismic changes across the construction industry. Having assisted clients grappling with the early stages of this green revolution, our construction lawyers are keenly aware of the industry’s important role, believing in the ingenuity of our structures and institutions to deliver Net-Zero before it’s too late.
As Public Sector specialists, we are especially attuned to the leading role which the public sector is playing in delivering and overseeing green innovation. For example, we have a wealth of experience advising authorities to deliver modern, green social-housing and have sought to highlight procurement strategies and contractual mechanisms which prioritise green policy objectives at every stage of such projects.
Some of our most recent instructions relating to decarbonisation and sustainability have included:
- Advising a large combined-authority to access and distribute Capital Funding from the Local Authority Delivery Phase 2 economic stimulus package unveiled in the summer of 2020 and the subsequent Local Authority Delivery Phase 3 and Home Upgrade Grant Phase 1;
- Advising a London Borough Council taking part in the National Net Zero Retrofit Accelerator Project – a retrofitting pilot scheme which involved replacing gas boilers with air source heat pumps across the Council’s stock of social housing;
- Drafted bespoke provisions for a further education authority seeking to secure specific sustainability credentials in respect of the new buildings being constructed as part of its campus expansion; and
- Lead advisor in respect of a London Borough Council’s multi-contract re-procurement of the full range of its housing maintenance and repairs requirements with one of the key objectives being to secure greener delivery.
In addition to contributing to projects which are solely focussed on sustainability, our construction team has regularly discuss and review how the environmental impact of construction projects can be mitigated and how best to achieve national and local commitments through contractual drafting. If you require advice or assistance on the options, risks and opportunities of implementing or utilising sustainability provisions within standard form or bespoke construction contracts, our team is well-placed to assist.
