Exemplar Sustainable Building Awards: Initiative WINNER: PACER
WINNER: Initiative category I 2025 Exemplar Sustainable Building Awards. PACER (Planning Application Carbon Evaluation and Reduction) is a first-of-its-kind digital platform that empowers Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) with the tools to enforce whole life carbon (WLC) policies in the planning process.
Developed by Preoptima in partnership with Westminster City Council and funded by Innovate UK, PACER automates the review of Whole Life Carbon Assessments (WLCAs) submitted in planning applications, providing case officers with clear, data-driven insights into compliance, and prompting actionable recommendations that challenge the carbon impact of developments.
With the built environment accounting for 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions, PACER equips LPAs – who ultimately decide what gets built, where, and how – with the tools to reduce both embodied and operational emissions. PACER fosters consistent policy enforcement, supports resource efficiency and circular economy principles, and ensures that the WLC impact of planning proposals is addressed before construction begins.
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“We’re honoured that PACER has been named the winning initiative at the Exemplar Sustainable Buildings Awards. Planning has long been an underutilised lever in the decarbonisation of the built environment - yet it ultimately determines what gets built, where, and how. PACER was created to change that, by giving Local Planning Authorities the tools and confidence to challenge the whole life carbon impact of developments and drive meaningful reductions from the earliest design stages. This recognition isn’t just for us - it’s for every case officer, policy lead, and council working to make planning a driving force for climate action. A huge thank you to Westminster City Council, Innovate UK, and all the councils and industry organisations who helped shape PACER into the platform it is today.” Alex Bantock, Associate Founder, Preoptima |
Further information
Exemplar Sustainable Building Awards: PACER slide deck
2025 Exemplar Sustainable Building Awards
Exemplar Sustainable Building Awards playlist
Previous PHT Story: And the winners are... - 25 June 2025
Emma Osmundsen: Why sustainable buildings awards matter – June 2025
14th May 2025
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