Green Finance Institute gathers businesses for taskforce to decarbonise UK heating systems
The Green Finance Institute has gathered together representatives from a variety of businesses with experts from local authorities, policy and science sector to create a new taskforce tasked with decarbonising heating systems in the UK. Heating and hot water for homes account for almost two-fifths of the UK’s annual energy consumption and one-fifth of greenhouse […]
AC systems maintenance key in COVID-19 crisis
It’s a message we keep hearing from the Government and medical advisors during the coronavirus crisis – ‘we’re following the science’. The problem we’re all learning, is the science, like the thinking and subsequent policies, is constantly being updated as more is learned seemingly by the hour about this lethal virus. And the advice can, […]
UK broke renewable energy generation record in 2019, new figures reveal
A record 37.1% of electricity generated in the UK last year was renewable, according to the latest annual energy statistics published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) includes data on energy production, consumption, demand, imports and exports. The 2019 report, published at the end […]
UK’s electricity system could be carbon-negative from 2033, new report suggests
Operators of the UK’s National Grid have predicted the country’s electricity supply could capture, offset or absorb more carbon than it emits by 2033 if more effort is put into increasing renewable energy generation and developing carbon capture technology. The National Grid Electricity System Operator’s (ESO) new Future Energy Scenarios Report said, in its ‘most […]
Coronavirus: Business planning for the energy sector
During these testing times of global health and economic crisis, the one thing the business world craves (apart from the good health of their teams, naturally) is certainty. We are grateful, therefore, to our friends over at the Edie newsroom for pulling together an excellent checklist for energy professionals to use during this time of upheaval. […]
UK businesses wasting £60m in avoidable energy bills
A staggering £60m is being wasted by UK businesses in unnecessary energy bills, according to a new report. Energy thinktank Green Alliance says energy management needs to be improved if the country’s climate targets are to be met. The built environment accounts for 40% of national energy use and around one-third of emissions This month’s […]
UK’s first grid-injected hydrogen trials begin on university campus
A pilot project has been launched to inject zero-carbon hydrogen into an existing gas network. The HyDeploy project is injecting hydrogen into Keele University’s existing natural gas network, supplying 30 faculty buildings and 100 domestic properties and results in hydrogen accounting for up to 20% of the gas mix in the network. The team responsible […]
New rules to encourage business energy efficiency with SECR
Businesses need to be up to speed with the Government’s new Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) policy which mandates them to disclose their energy and carbon emissions. The policy, which came into effect on April 1st this year, affects almost 12,000 companies under the Companies (Directors’ Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon […]
New Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in force
Landlords are being urged to comply with updated regulations in relation to minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES). Since April this year, new rules apply to energy ratings which affect a landlord’s ability to agree a new letting or tenancy. They now have to contribute up to £3,500 per property towards raising the rating on a […]
Government unveils new net-zero support for buildings and ‘every single mode of transport’
The UK Government has unveiled new measures to decarbonise buildings and all modes of transport to demonstrate commitment to reaching net-zero carbon by 2050. The report indicates that the UK Government has allocated £2bn to decarbonisation projects since the amendment to the 2008 Climate Change Act was ratified, with significant amounts of funding being allocated […]
Spending hike urged for environmental protection schemes
Environmental campaigners have called on the UK Government to more than double funding to fight climate change if further ecological breakdown is to be avoided in the future. They want more spending on decarbonising transport, the built environment and industry and wrote to the Chancellor, Sajid Javid, ahead of his Spending Review this week calling […]
UK’s offshore wind sector boosted by £100m programme
A new £100m programme has been launched to boost the growth of the UK’s offshore wind sector which will, in turn, benefit businesses. The 10-year initiative, the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP), has been unveiled by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) to support more than 650 businesses boost the value and growth of the […]
UK to use more electricity from renewables than coal for first time in 2019
The UK’s electricity system will distribute more power from renewable sources than coal-fired power stations for the first time this year, new figures indicate. The National Grid revealed that 47.9% of electricity generated between January and May this year came from clean energy sources – solar, wind, hydro and nuclear, while 46.7% came from coal […]
Cities pledge to decarbonise buildings by 2050
A project has been launched that will see a coalition of eight European cities, including Dublin and Leeds, completely decarbonise their existing building stocks by 2050. The commitment, Build Upon2, is being convened by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and will see the cities collaboratively develop and implement a built environment renovation and retrofitting […]
Climate change: positive steps to celebrate
Once again as Brexit continues to dominate airtime, column inches and many a social media post, it can be hard to find glimmers of any positive moves being made to tackle the country – and world’s – even more pressing emergency: climate change. Yet buried deep in the weeds of daily news coverage this week […]
UKGBC urges business leaders to embrace net zero measures
Syntegra Managing Director Alan King is fortunate to be a member of the UK Green Building Council’s Leaders Network which recently received a very useful update on key developments in the built environment sector and what organisations can focus on in a bid to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. Below are some of the […]
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 […]
BEIS to launch energy efficiency consultation on commercial buildings
A Government consultation is to determine measures to drive up improvements in the energy and emissions record of commercial buildings. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has described the sector as a ‘huge untapped area’ for improvements. The fact that about 60% of commercial buildings are rented can lead to issues around […]
Government measures needed to get tough on housing stock to meet carbon reduction targets
Legally binding carbon reduction targets will not be met in the UK unless the Government takes steps to tackle the “increasingly uncomfortable and unsafe” existing housing stock and implements stringent measures around new build projects. That is the conclusion of a report by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). The report criticises the withdrawal of […]
How could a no-deal Brexit affect the UK’s low-carbon energy transition?
Brexit…love it or loathe it, there’s simply no getting away from it as the divorce deadline looms ever closer with as much confusion as ever (if not more) about what life after Brussels will look like for Britain.With all the debates and meetings going on, publicly and behind closed doors, it’s clearly impossible to keep […]
Landlords could be letting illegal properties due to ‘inaccurate’ EPC ratings, report finds
Tens of thousands of properties are potentially being let illegally by landlords due to false Energy performance Certificate (EPC) scores affecting around 2.5 million buildings, according to a new report. The report by property technology solutions provider Spec notes that floor space is used as a key component to creating an energy rating, and that […]
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 […]
It’s a snow-brainer – remote working is a sustainable business option
It’s that time of year when we’ve all got one eye on the weather app or out of the window to check for snow and the chance of a snow-day remote working from home. But should businesses capitalise on people’s enthusiasm for remote working and actively encourage it – not just rely on goodwill when […]
The 10 Year Challenge: How the UK’s low-carbon economy has changed
As our clients know, here at Syntegra we like to read widely around our subject to broaden our knowledge and expertise and spend a considerable amount of time explaining to potential new customers how making even very small changes to their sustainability record can have an impact on their environmental footprint. So we were delighted […]
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