Sustainability & Construction Newsletter #19
Mitsubishi Electric Living Environmental Systems UK
Cooling, Heating, Ventilation and Controls
Welcome to the 19th edition of our Sustainability & Construction newsletter!?
In this edition, we bring you the latest news and insights on sustainable practices in the built environment.?
We kick off with a new CPD Guide on 'Whole Life Carbon in the Built Environment' that is now available to download for free. Our brand ambassador, George Clarke, emphasises the importance of clean air beyond a single day and advocates for year-round discussions.?
We also highlight industry news, including new guidance from UKGBC on carbon offsetting and pricing, the introduction of the Renewable Energy Indicator by NABERS and how major contractors are adopting automated embodied carbon reporting to tackle Scope 3 emissions.
Read on to stay informed and inspired by the latest sustainability developments in the construction industry.
Latest Mitsubishi Electric News
There are a number of ways to reduce the whole life carbon of buildings, including using low-carbon materials, improving energy efficiency, and designing buildings that are easy to heat and cool. In this new CPD guide, we explore why a more holistic approach to the built environment is needed, taking into account the whole life carbon of buildings, as well as the wider impacts of the built environment on climate change.
If you would like a CPD accredited presentation, please contact us at [email protected]
In his latest article for Mitsubishi Electric, our brand ambassador George Clarke looks at the importance of good indoor air and argues that we need to be talking about clean air all year round, not just on Clean Air Day.?The technology already exists to help introduce fresh air into buildings in a highly energy-efficient way, and we need to be using this technology to improve air quality all year round.
Heating accounts for almost a third of all carbon emissions in the UK, so changing how we heat our buildings is critical to meeting Net Zero targets. The UK Heat and Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021, outlines how the country might tackle this challenge. The strategy highlights the need to move away from burning fossil fuels, make buildings more efficient, and embrace heat pumps and heat networks for heat and hot water.
Martin Fahey, Head of Sustainability for Mitsubishi Electric UK & Ireland, explains how we can efficiently enter the renewable heating market with heat pumps to reduce emissions.
Latest Industry News
The Climate Change Committee’s annual progress report to Government is out, detailing the risks of inaction associated with the UK’s net-zero transition. With the nation currently off-track to meet its 2030 goals, edie examines what policies are required to accelerate action over the next decade.
UKGBC launches new guidance urging the industry to adopt an ambitious approach to carbon offsetting and pricing. It offers a step-by-step process to deliver responsible offsetting strategies which support the shift to Net Zero buildings. The report highlights how carbon pricing can be used as a powerful mechanism to accelerate the decarbonisation of built assets and the wider industry.
NABERS Director, Carlos Flores, recently visited the UK from Australia showcasing how the UK is embracing the standard in our buildings. As more organisations commit to achieving Net Zero emissions, NABERS is evolving its Energy Rating by introducing the Renewable Energy Indicator to better recognise and reward all-electric buildings that are purchasing 100% renewable energy.
Two of the leading international programs to improve the state of the carbon markets, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) and the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI), have unveiled a new joint commitment to boost confidence in the market.
A recent McKinsey report highlights that professionals in the built environment sector can reduce more than 50% in industry emissions by 2030 using existing technologies. To help industry players make progress toward decarbonisation, “Building value by decarbonising the built environment” assesses the most effective solutions available today. The analysis shows that many levers not only have proven abatement potential but also are already cost-effective.
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The government of Australia is planning to implement mandatory climate-related financial disclosure requirements for companies and financial institutions, according to a new consultation paper launched by the Treasury on Tuesday, detailing and seeking feedback on the proposed reporting rules.
UKGBC reports the findings of its six-month collaborative project, the Physical Risk Labs, which brought together developers and asset-owning organisations to improve their understanding of assessing and responding to climate-related risks.
With drive and desire to make a continuous impact in construction, Katy Dowding is a CEO that prides herself on inclusive leadership and a sustainable focus. Assuming the role of President and CEO of Skanska UK in May 2023, she is already affecting plenty of positive moves within the company.
Balfour Beatty, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall are to trial new technology which could provide automated, real-time reporting of Scope 3 carbon emissions. Scope 3 emissions are indirect carbon and greenhouse gas emissions from a company’s supply chain. They include the production and transport of concrete, steel and timber.
Construction Voices
Each week we invite industry figures to generously share their invaluable insights and expertise in shaping a sustainable built environment. This week, we're hearing from David Frise from Building Engineering Services Association on how retrofit can get the UK back on track for Net Zero.
Retrofit can get UK back on track for net zero
Last week’s report from the?Climate Change Committee ?(CCC) was chastening. It said the UK had lost its position as a leader on carbon reduction and that future plans for delivering net zero lacked “credibility”.
The CCC, which is an independent statutory body set up under the Climate Change Act to advise the government, said confidence that the UK would meet its climate goals was “diminishing” and lack of detailed delivery plans in most sectors of the economy meant it would not hit its target of a 68% cut in emissions by the end of this decade.
Overall greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 46% since 1990, but the CCC claimed that “credible plans” only exist for 25% of the future reductions needed and highlighted gaps in delivery strategies, funding, and timetables.
The built environment was highlighted as a particular concern as it accounts for 17% of total UK emissions and needs to reduce them by 43% (33 MtCO2e) by 2030 to stay on track for net zero by 2050.?
The CCC’s?2023 Progress Report to Parliament ?said emissions from the sector fell by 15% in 2008, but progress had been minimal since, and although residential emissions fell by 16% last year, the CCC said this was mainly due to mild winter weather and soaring energy costs forcing people to cut usage.
Alarming
The report was alarming but also useful because it went into considerable detail and highlighted where industries like ours can help. A big flaw is the failure to put net zero at the heart of the planning process and ensure all the mechanisms are in place to make a comprehensive national building retrofit programme happen at pace.?
Making buildings more energy efficient and climate change resilient can be done quickly, relatively cheaply and would also help to address the cost-of-living crisis.
The government has a target to reduce energy consumption in buildings by 15% by 2030, but the CCC said there were currently “no guidelines or mechanisms” for delivering this aim. It also said 20% would be a better target and was affordable – and this presents a massive opportunity for the building engineering sector.
The Committee was particularly critical of the slow pace of heat decarbonisation with just 72,000 new heat pumps installed last year against a target of 130,000, which the CCC said should rise to 145,000 this year. However, it welcomed the extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which it estimated would deliver around 180,000 heat pump installations by 2028. It also noted that the cost of heat pump installations was falling.
We know what needs to be done and we know that our industry is at the heart of the delivery challenge. Our companies need to step up and invest in the people, processes and technologies to get net zero back on track – but they will only do that if they can trust government policies to be more than just short-term.?
So, let’s hope policy makers read and take on board the CCC’s advice so we can get on with the business of delivering net zero emissions at pace.
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We hope you've found the content of this newsletter useful and relevant. In each edition, we'll focus on bringing you the latest news and topics around sustainability and construction. If there are any news articles you would like us to feature, please?get in touch with us , and we'll make sure your news is included.
Find out more about our new Sustainability and Construction team?here .
Helping the built environment achieve Net Zero | National Sustainability & Construction Manager at Mitsubishi Electric ??????
1 年Lots to digest as usual! Whole life carbon CPD is worth a read..... We are also always looking for guest speakers from within the industry to feature in our construction voices.