Net Zero Emissions Buildings, Shifting the Focus from Energy Efficient to Whole Life Carbon Emission: A Review Study

Obead, Rania; D'Amico, Bernardino; Khaddour, Lina

Abstract

Buildings’ construction and operation are significant contributors to global world emissions. Therefore, reducing emissions in this sector is an essential step in global efforts toward a zero-emission economy. As a response to this need, much research has been done that sets definitions, scope, and methods to design as well as construct, and operate environmentally friendly buildings. Recently, works related to Net Zero-Emissions Buildings (NZEB) and nearly zero-emission buildings (nZEB) have been circulated in many fields. This research reviews the concept of the NZEB and links the concept with the life cycle assessment (LCA), through a ten-year systematic literature review, which shows the NZEB has different definitions, boundaries, and measurement tools around the world. Subsequently, applying the concept of NZEB, therefore, becomes difficult and sometimes confusing. This research then compares two documents published by the UK Green Building Council in 2019 and 2021 to find out the common criteria and different scopes of the definitions. Both documents can be read alongside each other and are complementary. However, the definition of NZEB still needs more work in setting the emissions reduction targets for different building sectors, including newly built and existing buildings. Also, to establish more clarification for the NZEB, the whole life cycle of buildings’ emissions should be accounted for, reduced, and then offset.

Citation

Obead, R., D'Amico, B., & Khaddour, L. (2024, April). Net Zero Emissions Buildings, Shifting the Focus from Energy Efficient to Whole Life Carbon Emission: A Review Study. Presented at Environmental Design, Material Science, and Engineering Technologies conference, Dubai, UAE

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: Environmental Design, Material Science, and Engineering Technologies conference
• Start Date: Apr 22, 2024
• End Date: Apr 24, 2024
• Acceptance Date: Apr 1, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Mar 27, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025
• Deposit Date: Apr 18, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 28, 2026
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Series Title: Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI)
• Series ISSN: 2522-8722
• Book Title: Sustainable Approaches to Environmental Design, Materials Science, and Engineering Technologies, Vol. 1
• ISBN: 978-3-031-76024-2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76025-9_29
• Keywords: Net zero emissions building, Life-cycle emissions, Operation emissions, Embodied emissions, Systematic literature review
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/3588349
• Related Public URLs: https://www.ierek.com/events/environmental-design-material-science-and-engineering-technologies