Search Results for: sustain

New Construction Strategy focuses on sustainability and efficiency

by • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property, Public Sector

New Construction strategy focuses on sustainability and efficiency

An industrial strategy for construction – ‘Construction 2025’ is being launched by the Coalition Government today which aims to tap into the considerable growth opportunities predicted for the global construction market. The strategy has been developed in partnership with the new Construction Leadership Council, jointly chaired by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Sir David Higgins, Chief Executive of Network Rail, formed to help oversee the delivery of the action plan and its strategic priorities. The strategy’s vision to 2025 includes ambitions for a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment, and an equal reduction in the trade gap between total exports and total imports for construction products and materials. (more…)

Video: is this the world’s most sustainable office building?

by • Architecture, Environment, Facilities management, Workplace design

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What is claimed to be the world’s most sustainable office building has just achieved a platinum LEED certification. The NuOffice building in Munich was supported by the EU funded Direction project which promotes energy efficient and sustainable building design along with the  Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP). The focus of the building’s design is on energy efficiency and applies radiant heating and cooling technology, switchable glazing and innovative insulating material to reduce the environmental footprint and running costs of the building. The developers claim that local energy costs have increased by 50 percent over the last decade so the new building which is expected to reduce energy consumption by 90 percent can offer a substantial cost saving over conventional designs.

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New European Awards recognise leadership in sustainable building

by • Architecture, Environment, Facilities management, News, Property, Public Sector

The first awards to recognise outstanding leadership in sustainable building in Europe have been launched by the World Green Building Council’s European Regional Network. The “WorldGBC Leadership Awards – Europe Region” will honour best practice and excellence in cities’ green building policy, as well as in construction projects and corporate initiatives across the continent. The awards feature three categories – Excellence in City Policy for Green Building, Leadership in Building Design and Performance, and Business Leadership in Sustainability – and are open to city councils and policy makers, projects and businesses. (more…)

UK public sector leading the way in procurement and sustainable building

by • Comment, Facilities management, Public Sector, Technology

Nottingham City Council's Loxley Building

Nottingham City Council’s Loxley Building

Over the last few years, the UK Government has grown increasingly interested in finding ways of making its £30 billion property portfolio more efficient. Both the last Labour government and the current Coalition administration have been driven by the opportunities offered them with the advent of new technology, new ways of working and new procurement models. They’ve pursued these issues to cut costs by reducing and changing the way property is designed and managed but have also found how that can also help to establish best practice in sustainable building. What is increasingly apparent, especially given recent news from the Major Projects Authority about cost savings in procurement is that the public sector is now leading the way as models of good practice.

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New Centres of Excellence for sustainable building design launched

by • Architecture, Environment, Facilities management, Knowledge, News, Property

New Centres of Excellence for sustainable building design launched

Centres of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design are to be set up at four UK universities in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering. The new centres at Heriot-Watt University, Loughborough University, the University of Sheffield and University College London will form a national network to demonstrate and exchange best practice in teaching and research for a more sustainable built environment. The universities will work closely with the construction industry to develop their engineering and architectural design courses to be as relevant as possible to the work students can expect to do when they graduate. Visiting Professors from industry are a key part of this approach and will be heavily involved in developing the new centres of excellence. (more…)

Government approach to efficiency yields savings, but is it sustainable?

by • News, Public Sector

Public SectorA new report from the UK’s National Audit Office (NAO)has praised the work of the Efficiency & Reform Group (ERG), part of the Cabinet Office in delivering over £5 billion of savings in central government but has challenged the ERG to make them sustainable over the longer term to meet the Government’s target of making annual savings of £20 billion by 2015. The NAO report welcomes the achievements of the ERG so far but expresses its concerns that many of the savings had been achieved with quick wins related to the renegotiation of existing contracts, staff cuts and the cancellation of marketing budgets, which had already begun to tail off.

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Net-Zero buildings top measure of sustainability success

by • Architecture, Environment, News, Property, Workplace design

the Crystal

Net-zero commercial buildings, i.e. those that produce at least as much energy as they consume should be the long-term aim of corporate energy strategies, says a CoreNet Global statement. “Smart and responsible energy policies and practices reduce corporate carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions, (and) we encourage our members’ companies to drive energy efficiency to optimal levels with net-zero buildings as a top measure of long-term success.” The global real estate association calls on governments around the world to incentivise building owners, investors and occupiers who proactively reduce their carbon footprints. (more…)

MIT survey shows link between sustainability and profitability

by • Environment, Knowledge

money-grows-on-treesA report published today by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group has found that more than half of companies see a rise in profits when they embrace a more sustainable business model. In addition to the link between sustainability and profitability, the number of companies reporting a profit from their sustainability efforts rose 23 percent last year, to 37 percent of the total, according to the report entitled The Innovation Bottom Line. The survey of 2,600 managers and executives around the world, also found that nearly half of respondents said their companies had changed their business model as a result of sustainability opportunities.  (more…)

Better Buildings challenge for sustainable innovation

by • Architecture, Environment, News, Property, Technology, Workplace design

BPP

A competition to find green solutions that help to improve the performance of commercial buildings has been launched by the Institute for Sustainability, in partnership with the Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate-KIC) and the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) – a collaboration of leading London commercial property owners and investors. Because energy efficiency improvement works have focused primarily on mechanical and electrical control upgrades and plant replacement, the competition focuses on innovations which could help improve the environmental performance of the building envelope. (more…)

Guide argues positive green message for sustainable gains

by • Architecture, Environment, Knowledge, News, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design

sustainia-world

Fear, despair and resignation do not motivate people to change their practices; they should instead be inspired by the positive messages of sustainable living. In Guide to Sustainia international sustainability initiative Sustainia argues innovation has made such impressive leaps over the last decade it’s now possible to break with the perception of a sustainable society as one of limitations. With cities and developers already assembling the nuts, bolts and designs of a more sustainable future, the guide presents a compilation of real initiatives and technologies from around the world, in a blueprint for a sustainable future. (more…)

Global sustainable real estate securities fund announced

by • News

A global sustainable property fund that invests in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) and other publicly traded property companies that meet environmental and social sustainability criteria, has been launched by US real estate investment firm European Investors Incorporated (EII). The focus will be primarily on global equities of companies involved in the ownership, management, development and financing of commercial and residential properties that strive to meet sustainability requirements.
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Cities must embrace the radical retrofit of buildings to meet future challenges

Cities must embrace the radical retrofit of buildings to meet future challenges

by • News, Property, Workplace design

The Radical Retrofit report by Economist Impact, supported by JLL, argues that making cities more sustainable and resilient will depend on retrofits that improve safety, health and accessibility, while also driving economic valueAs cities continue to grow, the pressure on infrastructure, resources and the environment is intensifying. A new global study warns that urban centres must move beyond new construction and reimagine the buildings they already have. Retrofitting – enhancing and upgrading existing structures -is emerging as a key strategy to cut emissions, improve energy performance and boost urban liveability. The Radical Retrofit report by Economist Impact, supported by JLL, argues that making cities more sustainable and resilient will depend on retrofits that improve safety, health and accessibility, while also driving economic value. Though still in its early stages, the movement is gaining traction across global cities such as Singapore, New York, Paris and Dubai. Yet the pace must accelerate dramatically from today’s retrofit rate of 1 percent per year to at least 3 percent to align with net-zero goals. (more…)

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