Edinburgh Napier University

  Building construction and operation are significant contributors to global world emissions. Therefore, reducing emissions in this sector is an essential step in global efforts toward a zero-emission economy. As a response to this need, many works have been done in setting definitions, scopes, and methods to design, construct, and operate environmentally friendly buildings. Recently, Net zero-emissions buildings (NZEB) and nearly zero-emission buildings (nZEB) have been circulated in many fields. This research reviews the concept of the NZEB and links the concept with the life cycle assessment (LCA), through a ten-year systematic literature review, which showed the NZEB had different definitions, boundaries, and measurement tools around the world. Subsequently, applying the concept of NZEB became difficult and sometimes confusing. Then the research compares two documents published by the UK Green Building Council in 2019 and 2021 to find out the common criteria and different scopes of the definitions. Both documents can be read alongside, and they complete each other. However, the definition of NZEB still needs more work in setting the emissions reduction targets for different building sectors, newly built and existing buildings. Also, to establish more clarification for the NZEB, the whole life cycle emissions should be accounted for, reduced, and then offset.