Carbon Reduction Scenarios for the Built Historic Environment

Historic England wishes to commission research that refines and develops carbon reduction scenarios for the built historic environment to meet the UKs net zero carbon targets by 2050. The research will develop forecasts of the scale of carbon reduction in the built historic environment and the associated abatement costs that can be delivered through retrofit. Historic residential buildings are today categorised as "hard to decarbonise" buildings, yet they are often the product of low carbon intensive processes using local materials. While the aim of this commission is to estimate reductions in the operational carbon of historic buildings, it is important to acknowledge the embodied carbon contained within existing buildings. The research must also consider the challenges associated with achieving net zero targets without potential widespread damage to the historic environment and people's health.