Although the built environment sector contributes almost 25% of our greenhouse gas emissions , to date the focus has mainly been on decarbonising buildings. The spaces between buildings remain a significant blind-spot and significant barriers exist for landscape practitioners in understanding, calculating and communicating the carbon impact of our schemes.
In March 2024 the Landscape Institute (LI) and British Association of Landscape Industries launched the well-received report ’Landscape and Carbon’. Highlighting the integral role of landscape in reducing embodied and whole-life carbon emissions, the report provided valuable insights for practitioners.
Building on this momentum, the LI has established a Steering Group and three Task & Finish groups (introduced below) to deliver practical outputs that will empower and inspire practitioners to develop their own embodied carbon reduction strategies and methodologies and accelerate our collective progress towards net zero development.
Key recommendations
Working together, the LI and BALI will build on work already being done by colleagues across the landscape sector to agree a carbon methodology, put standard data and practical tools in place, and help the sector to improve the level of awareness and skills needed.
Inviting stakeholders from across the landscape sector, and wider industry, to engage and collaborate in a series of working groups, the report sets out eight key recommendations for future action:
1. Agree a carbon assessment process
Agree a carbon assessment and management process for the UK
landscape sector, and refine the process as new techniques develop.
2. Use standard data and tools
Agree a standard for the collection and assessment of data to enable the
creation of a set of tools to calculate carbon outcomes.
3. Work with suppliers
Call on manufacturers, suppliers and assessors to provide Environmental
Product Declarations (EPDs) for all landscape products with fully specified
data.
4. Support landscape practitioners
Consider the needs of BALI and LI members, and all landscape
practitioners, particularly SMEs, and support their work to deliver net zero
projects.
5. Build understanding
Work closely with other UK built environment professionals and ensure
that the role and importance of the landscape sector in carbon reduction
is recognised.
6. Improve education and training
Work with HR, training and development professionals to identify all
necessary educational materials and build carbon into wider CPD
programmes.
7. Promote landscape solutions
Promote the carbon storage potential of landscapes to policy makers and
the wider public, and highlight the contribution which landscapes play in
addressing the climate emergency.
8. Create a cross-sector action plan
Create a sector-wide action plan to achieve net zero projects, with
timescales for delivery. Assign tasks to organisations.
How you can get involved
We are inviting stakeholders from across the sector to engage and collaborate in a series of working groups. If you would like to provide your skills and experience, then please fill out the form below.
