It’s well known that the built environment is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions in the UK and the rest of the world. This applies both to the construction process, which contributes to a building’s embodied carbon, and to the use and maintenance of the property once built – operational carbon.

With greater awareness of their impact on the planet, businesses in the built environment have been paying closer attention to how they can reduce their carbon footprint. One of the biggest barriers to implementing sustainable practices is the often hefty price tag. However, considering climate issues early during the construction process and introducing small changes can make a huge difference. And as well as benefiting the project’s environmental impact, such changes also allow alignment with a growing trend to use two-stage tendering and early contractor or supply chain involvement.

To support developers, contractors, lawyers and other built environment stakeholders, lawyers TLT and The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) – a network dedicated to promoting decarbonisation through climate contracting – have produced a new free-to-use contracting tool that flags sustainability considerations at all stages in the building lifecycle. It allows those drafting and negotiating project contracts to identify the right climate causes and sustainability solutions for the specific requirements of the project or building, reducing the need for renegotiation later.

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