The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard: From Net Zero ambition to measurable delivery - Webinar with RLB

Title: The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard: From Net Zero ambition to measurable delivery - webinar with RLB
Date: Wednesday 13 May 2026
Time: 12.00 - 13.00

Synopsis: 

Universities across the UK have publicly declared net zero ambitions, setting targets for carbon reduction across their estates as part of wider institutional sustainability strategies. As scrutiny from students, funders and regulators increases, the challenge for estates teams is not just about setting ambition but demonstrating credibility and consistency in how “net zero” is defined and delivered at a building level.

The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS), launched in Version 1 in March 2026, provides the UK’s first cross‑industry, science‑based methodology for defining and evidencing what a net zero carbon aligned building is. Developed collaboratively by CIBSE, UKGBC, RIBA, RICS, BRE and others, the Standard aims to address long‑standing inconsistency and reduce the risk of misleading net zero claims in the built environment.

Higher education sector buildings are explicitly included within the UKNZCBS scope. Universities can apply the Standard to new developments, major refurbishments and upgrades to existing assets, making it directly relevant to complex, mixed‑age campus estates.

In this session, delivered by RLB’s National Head of MEP & Decarbonisation Delivery, Jedd Davies CEng, we will help estates teams understand how the Standard provides a single, credible framework to validate net zero ambitions. We will help to show how the Standard applies across higher education estates, the importance of addressing both operational and embodied carbon, and how it can inform capital investment, procurement and estate decarbonisation decisions.

Reasons to attend:

• Understand what the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard is and how it applies to higher education estates, across new build, refurbishment and existing assets
• Gain insight into the key areas the Standard focuses on in practice, including operational performance, embodied carbon and building energy use
• Explore how the Standard can support estate planning and decision-making, as part of wider net zero and decarbonisation strategies

 Speaker:

Jedd Davies, National Head of MEP & Decarbonisation Delivery, Rider Levett Bucknall - Jedd.Davies@uk.rlb.com

Jedd Davies is a Senior Associate at Rider Levett Bucknall. A Chartered Engineer (CEng MIET), he serves as National Head of M&E Design Services & Decarbonisation Delivery, leading technical strategy across retrofit, net‑zero, and building‑performance programmes. His experience as a low carbon consultant and low carbon energy assessor positions him as a key client advisor on the development of decarbonisation plans, advising on decarbonisation funding, and supporting universities and public‑sector clients to validate and deliver net‑zero carbon ambitions. Working widely across RLB’s multi-disciplinary teams, Jedd is also Chair of the Constructing Excellence Climate Action Group, contributing to wider industry engagement through thought leadership, webinars, and guidance materials.