Report: UK’s net-zero energy transition requires £900bn investment
More than £900bn could be required to transform the UK’s energy supply in readiness for net zero in 2050, new research warns. New policy interventions, investments and corporate partnerships will need to be put in place to unlock energy transition opportunities ahead of the target deadline. The new report by NatWest and Boston Consulting Group […]
King Charles’ climate call to action
King Charles has been praised for his COP28 speech calling for further efforts to protect the planet. Syntegra MD Alan King hailed his opening ceremony speech as “genuine concern and critically important,” after the monarch said that a net-zero and nature-positive future was achievable, but that a “starker and darker world” was inevitable based on […]
Boost to workplace tech investment
More than 90% of real estate business occupiers are willing to pay a premium for technology-enabled workspace which could boost their revenue options. Investment in technological solutions is set to outstrip expenditure on hiring new personnel and operating costs, according to research data from JLL’s 2023 Global Real Estate Technology Survey . Sustainability tools look set […]
Government to delay biodiversity net-gain requirements for buildings
The target for built environment companies to achieve biodiversity net gains at sites has been pushed back until next year, the UK Government has announced. At the start of this year, the UK Government confirmed that developers will need to achieve 10% biodiversity net-gain (BNG) at all large domestic, commercial and mixed-use sites from this November […]
Concerns over Sunak’s weakened net zero approach
Concerns have been raised over the Prime Minister’s apparent weakening of Government commitment to net zero measures. Rishi Sunak has confirmed that his Government will weaken policy proposals relating to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, home heating and building energy efficiency, claiming it was unfair to impose significant extra cost burdens onto stretched household budgets. He […]
New home insulation fund launched
The UK Government has launched a £1bn new home insulation scheme, which it hopes will provide financial support to more than 300,000 properties. The Great British Insulation Scheme will provide grant funding to homes in England, Scotland and Wales with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower. The UK Government is aiming […]
Government unveils winners of £46m green innovation funding
More than 20 UK businesses have received shares of a £46m Government funding pot to promote clean energy innovation including hydrogen, data centre chillers and alternatives to diesel for vehicles. The UK Government has confirmed the 26 businesses and projects that have been granted funding for low-carbon innovation. The primary focus is to help sectors […]
Net Zero: Biggest challenge ever
Net zero presents the “single biggest challenge that anyone working in the built environment has ever faced”, and pressure is increasing to achieve the aim, according to a report by the The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM). By 2030, emissions need to be reduced by 50%, and by 2050, net zero must be achieved, according to Government […]
Experts losing faith in UK’s ability to meet net zero goals
Authorities are losing faith in the UK’s ability to meet its net zero goals with a significant dip in confidence over the past year. The Climate Change Committee’s confidence in the UK meeting its net zero goals from 2030 onwards is now “markedly less than it was in our previous assessment a year ago”, according […]
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 […]
UK Government unveils updated Energy Security Plan
The UK Government has updated its Energy Security Strategy with an undertaking to upgrade 300,000 of the country’s least energy-efficient homes, launch carbon capture and storage projects and accelerate the development of green hydrogen, nuclear and floating offshore wind. The Government has confirmed that a new Energy Security Plan will be published, as well as a response […]
UK Government unveils plan for £1.8bn of spending on building energy efficiency
The UK Government has unveiled its plans for almost £2bn of funding to improve the energy efficiency of more than 115,000 homes and public sector buildings like schools and hospitals. Details of the allocation of the latest phases of the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG), which applies to privately owned properties, and the Social Housing Decarbonisation […]
SMEs see range of benefits as reasons to achieve net-zero
Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK are finding a variety of reasons beyond financial gains in their drive to reach net zero. The latest edition of Lloyds Bank’s Net Zero Monitor was published earlier this month having surveyed 1,074 financial decision makers in SMEs and revealed that 64% of their companies have […]
More businesses setting ambitious decarbonisation targets
Increasing numbers of businesses are setting ambitious decarbonisation targets in a bid to achieve net-zero by the middle of the century, according to a new study. According to Climate Action 100+, there has been a 17% year-on-year increase in the number of large businesses setting such targets. The report found a variety of methods used by […]
Call for extra energy efficiency measures in homes
The UK Government has been urged to increase incentives for the creation of energy efficient homes over the next decade. The influential Aldersgate Group of businesses is urging the UK Government to provide clearer information on subsidies in a new report, ‘Warming Britain Affordably’. The buildings and industry has been set a target to reduce […]
G20 nations failing to retrofit buildings to reach net-zero targets
G20 nations are failing to retrofit the built environment with energy and carbon saving measures at an appropriate pace to meet the Paris Agreement net zero targets. That is the key finding from the Global Retrofit Index which assesses the progress G20 countries are making to reduce emissions from existing buildings. With 80% of the […]
Billions lost in missed solar savings opportunities
UK businesses are missing out on as much as £12 billion in annual energy savings by failing to have facilities assessed to see if solar panels could be installed on rooftops, a new study has revealed. Analysis by solar data providers PowerMarket in their Solar Feasibility study examined the 30 largest science parks in the […]
Net zero strategy unlawful, court rules
On the day the UK was subject to its first ever red alert for extreme heat, the Government was dealt an embarrassing blow as the High Court ruled its strategy for getting to Net Zero is inadequate and unlawful. The Climate Change Act requires Government to hit Net Zero by 2050, to make proposals as […]
Carbon Reduction Plans required for Government contract bids
Companies bidding for large Government contracts now have to prove how they are reducing their carbon footprint as part of the national drive towards Net Zero in 2050. From 30th September last year, contractors hoping to secure Government contracts worth more than £5million have had to provide a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) explaining how they […]
LETI: How to build sustainably
Syntegra is delighted to support the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) – a network of more than 1,000 built environment professionals working together to develop the UK’s net zero whole life carbon future. Despite its roots in London, LETI provides guidance to teams working on new build projects across the country about how to build […]
New Building Regulations Part L 2022
New Part L Building Regulations come into force in June this year meaning residential buildings will be required to produce 30% fewer carbon emissions and non-residential buildings 27% fewer compared with current standards. Part L of the Building Regulations has been revised for the first time in a decade as part of the drive towards […]
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 […]
World Green Buildings Council (WorldGBC)
The World Green Buildings Council (WorldGBC) is calling for businesses to account for the whole lifecycle impact of all new buildings and major renovations, not just address operational carbon reduction. The WorldGBC this month unveiled an update to its longstanding Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, that aims to ignite a “reduction-first” approach to decarbonisation to […]
