New natural flood management funding
Natural flood management schemes are to receive £25m of Government funding to mitigate the risks posed by climate change. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has unveiled a programme to support dozens of projects centred around natural processes which restore and replicate the natural functions of catchments, floodplains and coastlines to mitigate […]
Call to retrofit buildings as net-zero quick win
The government has been urged to accelerate plans to retrofit buildings as a quick win to get its net-zero targets back on track. Following the publication of the latest report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) said the government should make the built environment a priority as the UK’s […]
Built environment taskforce created to devise energy procurement guidance
A team of cross-industry experts has been created to help devise guidance for the built environment on renewable energy procurement. The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has pulled together the team to help draft documents for businesses of all sizes in the sector as part of its commitment to tackling climate change. Decarbonising the UK’s […]
Call for tighter policies to support sustainable built environment
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has called on government to strengthen policies that will support a resilient built environment to mitigate the threats posed by climate change. Philip Box, Policy Advisor at UKGBC, said the heatwaves and droughts this summer caused widespread harm across the UK, from severe disruptions to transport services, and increased […]
COP26 deal ‘overall positive’ – Syntegra
The Syntegra team has welcomed the new Glasgow Climate pact announced at the culmination of the recent UN COP26 summit an called on UK businesses to lead the way in reducing their carbon footprint by implementing sustainable solutions across the built environment. ‘The document signals further international commitment to tackle climate change which is overall […]
Businesses are ‘key lever’ to delivering Paris Agreement – COP26 team
Businesses have been urged to ‘turbocharge collaboration’ on climate issues ahead of this month’s COP26 summit. The UK COP26 Unit’s deputy director for engagement, Nick Baker, has called on businesses to step-up their own commitments and forge closer links to help keep a 1.5C target within reach. Baker’s team works alongside High-Level Champion Nigel Topping […]
UK Government hopeful of an entirely renewable-based grid by 2035
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed his aim for a 100% clean energy electricity grid by 2035. Coal-fired electricity generation will end in 2024 and he hopes there will be an end to gas-powered generation 11 years later meaning renewables – mainly solar and wind power – will drive electricity production, along with controversial […]
G7 agree on ‘historic steps’ to make climate reporting mandatory
G7 countries have agreed to make climate reporting mandatory for corporate entities in line with the recommendations of the global Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). G7 finance ministers made the decision to make it mandatory for corporates to report climate impacts and investment decisions, and also agreed on new measures to strengthen central company […]
Government announces new funding to boost hydrogen production and clean up industry
Two new low-carbon hydrogen production plants and a series of trials into cutting industrial process emissions will be funded by a new £90million UK Government pot. A total of £70 million will be spent on hydrogen production plants near Mersey and Aberdeen, while a third project will use offshore windfarms off the Grimsby coast to […]
17 months on…The Success of Syntegra’s Ecology Department Implementation of Global Goal 15
By Trish Holden, Director of Ecology Services When our Managing Director, Alan King, asked in August 2018 for each department to take on a Global Goal under The Global Goals for Sustainable Development (https://watch.globalgoals.org/), the Ecology Department took on Goal 15: Life on Land. Of this goal, target 15.5 Protect Biodiversity and Natural Habitats seemed […]
Boost your business reputation with a kickstart to green initiatives
Business reputation can be boosted by implementing measures to tackle climate change. We at Syntegra tell this to our clients day in and day out – and fortunately they believe us and work with us to test the theory and see for themselves the positive results. So we were delighted when an international survey revealed […]
Calls to change climate policies and fossil fuel production to avoid catastrophe
The world’s existing climate policies will not be enough to end the upward trend of energy emissions rising beyond 2040 without a “grand coalition” of governments and investors, according to the global energy watchdog, the International Energy Agency (IEA). In its World Energy Outlook, the IEA said that carbon emissions from the global energy industry reached a […]
Millions join climate strike protest as leaders and businesses pledge to implement new measures to tackle global warming
Millions of people around the world held a global climate strike on Friday, inspired by Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg. Protesters took part in what is believed to be the biggest ever demonstration over global warming. “Our house is on fire”, Ms Thunberg said at a rally. “We will not just stand aside and watch.” […]
Syntegra’s Quick Guide to Green Office Measures
If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon” – the warning from the revered naturalist Sir David Attenborough as he declared climate change “our greatest threat in thousands of years”. His declaration, along with the Paris Agreement, an increasing number […]
Support for Global Climate Strike
Businesses are being urged to support and take part in a Global Climate Strike day of action on September 20th. Business leaders have been encouraged by the UKGBC’s Chief Executive, Julie Hirigoyen,to ‘activate [their] leadership’ and allow staff to join in the planned campaign to ensure the built environment industry is at the forefront of […]
Carbon neutral deadline revised by UK Government
The UK has increased its commitment to reduce carbon usage by 80% by 2050 to a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050. This is expected to be achieved by adopting Hydrogen as an alternative to gas, and using renewable sources for electricity generation, with a greater utilisation of GSHP and Air Source heat pumps. […]
Defining and delivering net-zero built environment
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched a new five point framework outlining how developers, designers, owners, occupiers and policymakers can define and deliver a net-zero built environment. The report, co-sponsored by sustainable developers the Berkeley Group, aims to build consensus on what net-zero looks like and means in relation to the built environment, both […]
Building a sustainable future with CLT
With all eyes very much on the built environment getting its house in order in the sustainability spotlight, one solution might be waiting neatly packaged for developers to consider. Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), has many advantages over traditional build materials in terms of cost, speed and safety of construction and, critically, environmental concerns. Softwood boards […]
EV target needs to be sooner
MPs have warned the UK must stop selling diesel and petrol cars by 2030 as electric vehicles will match them in terms of range and price by then. Members of the climate change committee recommend bringing forward the target date previously set for such a ban of 2040. That is the date by which all […]
Draft Environment Bill ‘severely downgrades’ environmental laws from EU standards, MPs warn
The UK Government’s draft Environment Bill would lead to significant environmental policies being ‘severely downgraded’ in comparison to current EU rules, MPs have warned following their scrutiny of proposals. The Environmental Audit Committee criticised the Environment Principles and Governance Bill as ‘lacking coherence’ and claimed it leaves “many Governmental departments exempt” from environmental responsibilities. Committee […]
UK cities to become ‘climate hubs’ under new £3.5m scheme
A series of ‘climate hubs’ are to be created in some of the UK’s major cities bringing together research and best practice to tackle the decarbonisation issue. The Government’s £3.5m initiative, the Place-based Climate Action Network (P-CAN), will cover work in Edinburgh, Belfast, Leeds and some projects in London. The Department for Business, Energy and […]
Emissions increase – focus on the built environment
The first rise in Co2 emissions for four years has been recorded by UN scientists who announced their findings on the eve of a follow-up to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. To meet the goals of the Paris deal, global emissions need to peak by 2020. But the UN emissions gap report suggests that won’t happen […]
Syntegra commits to 100% renewable energy
Syntegra is leading by example and has signed up to use 100% renewable energy for all its properties from the start of 2019 in line with its global goals mission. SSE Green is a 100% renewable energy tariff offered by SSE Business Energy which allows organisations to report zero emissions for their purchased electricity. It is […]
Air pollution – tackling the problem together
Here at Syntegra we’re honest enough to admit we don’t have all the answers to tackling climate change and air pollution and we’re always open to learning from others. As such, like others we often roam around the Internet reading up on our subject and connect with others in our field. And we are always […]
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