London wants whole-life carbon reductions. So why are its proposed limits focused on upfront emissions?

By Andrea Charlson 2026-10-21T06:00:00

The proposed London Plan rightly sets out to reduce embodied carbon. But setting limits on upfront emissions is tackling the problem the wrong way round, writes Andrea Charlson

London has spent years positioning itself at the forefront of whole-life carbon assessment. The draft London Plan currently under consultation continues to recognise that a building’s carbon impact extends far beyond construction, encompassing operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and eventual end-of-life performance.

Yet when it comes to hard policy levers, the picture looks a bit different.

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