Winvic Construction Ltd and leading built environment partners came together at UKREiiF 2026 to discuss a landmark new ESG whitepaper calling for stronger regulatory alignment to support the delivery of net zero carbon aligned buildings across the UK built environment.
Published in conjunction with Westminster body, The Policy Liaison Group (PLG) on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), the whitepaper – From Commitment to Compliance: Why the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard Needs Regulatory Backing – formed the focus of a dedicated panel discussion at the Winvic and Partners Hub Pavilion, where contributors and industry leaders explored the next steps required to accelerate measurable net zero delivery across the sector.
The paper explores the opportunities and challenges surrounding the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS), which launched earlier this year following extensive industry collaboration.
Drawing on insights from a Westminster roundtable and interviews with representatives across development, investment, construction, planning, sustainability and policy makers, the report sets out practical recommendations for government, industry and investors to accelerate delivery.
Contributors and participants include the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Building Research Establishment (BRE), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), BWB Consulting, Firethorn Trust, Panattoni, Ridge and Partners, Royal London Asset Management, UMC Architects, Wordsworth Excavations, Lord Gary Porter CBE and Lancaster City Council.
The whitepaper identifies regulatory alignment as the single greatest enabler of market-wide adoption, highlighting that the barriers to net zero delivery are no longer primarily technical.
Key recommendations include embedding the UKNZCBS into national planning and regulatory frameworks, mandating operational performance verification, aligning financial mechanisms with verified carbon outcomes, and improving consistency across ESG and carbon reporting standards.
The discussion at UKREiiF brought together voices from across development, construction, planning, investment and sustainability to examine how the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard can move from voluntary adoption towards a more consistent and scalable industry framework.
The panel consisted of Arun Thaneja, Technical Services and Sustainability Director at Winvic, Philippa Birch-Wood, Head of Climate Action at UKGBC, Mike Reader, All Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure and MP for Northampton South, Oliver Winchcombe, Head of Portfolio Management and ESG at Panattoni, James Lomas Holt, Associate Partner – Sustainability at Ridge and Partners and Rebecca Evans, Head of Infrastructure at ING Media.
The launch formed part of Winvic’s wider presence at UKREiiF during its milestone 25th year in business.
Arun Thaneja, Technical Services and Sustainability Director at Winvic, said: “The publication of this whitepaper marks a defining moment for the built environment sector. With the launch of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, the industry now has a credible and consistent framework to measure real operational performance, but turning ambition into measurable impact at scale will require far greater alignment across policy, regulation and delivery.
Developed through collaboration with organisations from across the built environment, the whitepaper sets out both the significant opportunities ahead and the critical barriers that we must still overcome. The sector has shown it is ready to move beyond aspiration and into accountability and our hope is that these recommendations will help accelerate the next phase of practical, measurable and scalable net zero delivery across the UK.”
“Winvic have been project partners of several key outputs as part of the UKGBC Advancing Net Zero programme, and this whitepaper further demonstrates their leadership in this space. This whitepaper is a signal that the built environment industry is ready to incorporate the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard into its operations; it just needs regulatory support to act faster and at scale.”
James Lomas Holt, Associate Partner – Sustainability at Ridge and Partners, said: ““It was great to provide input into the Whitepaper. The new Standard is a landmark step forward for the built environment sector, but we need to encourage take up and normalise the reporting of this data across the industry. Regulatory backing will be the most effective approach to delivering schemes consistently in line with the agreed definition of Net Zero Carbon”.
Oliver Winchcombe, Head of Portfolio Management and ESG at Panattoni, said: “The launch of the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard is an important step forward for the industrial and logistics sector, providing greater clarity and consistency around measuring real operational performance. As demand grows for sustainable, future-ready logistics space, a common framework will help align developers, occupiers and investors around delivering measurable net zero outcomes.
Philippa Birch-Wood, Head of Climate Action at UKGBC, said: “This whitepaper highlights both the progress being made and the practical challenges that remain, particularly around viability, infrastructure and planning policy alignment. It is clear, continued collaboration across the industry and government will be essential to delivering scalable and commercially viable net zero development across the UK”
For further information or to request a copy of the whitepaper, please contact – [email protected].
Photo caption (LtoR) – Rebecca Evans – Head of Infrastructure at ING Media, Arun Thaneja – Technical Services and Sustainability Director at Winvic, Philippa Birch-Wood -Head of Climate Action at UKGBC, Mike Reader – All Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure and MP for Northampton South, James Lomas Holt – Associate Partner – Sustainability at Ridge and Partners, Oliver Winchcombe – Head of Portfolio Management and ESG at Panattoni.
