January 10, 2022
December 14, 2021
Councils can meet net zero targets with help of building renovation
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Property
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), together with the World Green Building Council, several European Green Building Councils, Climate Alliance and the Buildings Performance Institute Europe, has published a framework to support cities and local authorities to measure the impacts and wider benefits of building retrofit as a way of meeting their net zero targets. More →
December 14, 2021
Corporate boards struggle to act on climate change
by Jayne Smith • Business, Environment, News
Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) in partnership with INSEAD, have published a report titled Changing the Climate in the Boardroom. The report addresses corporate leadership’s take on climate change, what boards around the world are currently doing to address climate change, and what they should be doing moving forward. More →
November 30, 2021
Government publishes Net Zero guidance for buildings
by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property
A new guide to decarbonising public sector buildings and creating a net zero public estate has been launched by the Cabinet Office. The authors of The Net Zero Estate Playbook claims it will ensure consistent approaches, such as using solar panels, LED lighting and greener building materials, are applied across public buildings as they help decarbonise Britain’s largest property portfolio. More →
November 22, 2021
Real estate players join forces with Urban Land Institute to fast-track decarbonisation
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has kicked off a new project in partnership with several major real estate organisations – including Allianz Real Estate, Catella, Hines, Redevco and Schroders Capital – that will support the built environment in Europe on its urgent journey to carbon neutrality. More →
November 18, 2021
Time to stop playing around with the issue of workplace sustainability
by Joanna Knight • Environment, Facilities management, Features, JK, Workplace design
The so-called green agenda, sustainability and climate change have finally hit centre stage. Various announcements are being made by UK Government and numerous high profile figures are crying a call to action to implement carbon reduction plans now. Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman William Russell, stated at the Annual Lord Mayor Gresham Lecture early in 2021: “Climate change is a bigger threat to the world than COVID-19.” He called on the financial and professional services sector to take urgent action to tackle climate change and ensure sustainability is at the heart of every financial decision. More →
November 17, 2021
‘A New Space Race’ to transform infrastructure
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Technology
A new research report released by Siemens Smart Infrastructure, titled ‘A New Space Race,’ has highlighted the increasingly urgent need to transform global infrastructure to focus on adaptability, resiliency and decarbonisation. Data from the report claims infrastructure leaders worldwide recognise the need for digitalisation to tackle challenges in energy systems and the built environment. More →
November 17, 2021
Post-pandemic surge in demand for sustainable business travel
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News
New research from Trainline Partner Solutions (TPS) claims Covid-19 will usher in a new era of sustainable business travel. The vast majority of business travellers (75 percent) want to reduce their reliance on air travel for business because of the impact it has on the environment. More →
November 12, 2021
More firms sign up to WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News
WorldGBC has announced 44 businesses who have signed up to the market-leading whole life carbon requirements of the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment), pledging to take increased action to decarbonise the built environment across their portfolios and business activities, representing annual turnover of $85 billion. More →
November 12, 2021
Built environment sector lacks clarity around its carbon emissions
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News
According to new research, the majority (58 percent) of built environment professionals believe the sector is already doing enough to tackle its carbon impact, despite the built environment contributing 36 percent of total global energy-related CO2 emissions, and the most recent available data highlighting that CO2 from operational energy use of buildings reached its highest level yet in 2019. More →
November 11, 2021
Commercial property markets in major UK cities won’t meet sustainability targets
by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property
Six of the UK’s key regional economic centres risk not achieving their net zero targets, unless significant action is taken to upgrade and improve their commercial property in the next 10 years, according to new analysis by JLL. The report, Sustainability and Value in the Regions, suggests that 90 percent of the office stock in England and Wales’ largest regional office markets is at risk of not meeting the UK government’s target for all non-domestic properties to have an EPC B rating by 2030. These findings come at a time when three of the cities analysed – Birmingham, Bristol (pictured) and Cardiff – have committed to achieving net zero status by 2030. Leeds and Manchester, both aim to be net zero by 2038. More →
December 6, 2021
We must wake up to the realities of workplace sustainability
by Oliver Cripps • Comment, Environment, Workplace design
Sustainability has been steadily moving up the business agenda over the past few years, with COP26 placing more emphasis on the need for organisations to demonstrate that their operations are sustainable and lessening their overall impact on the planet. Many businesses may feel daunted by the challenges ahead, and there are certainly big steps that need to be taken in order to reduce corporate carbon footprints and move to more sustainable models. More →