The latest evolution of sustainability: value
A high level timeline of the history of sustainability is emerging, which we have confirmed in discussions with many of our peers. It goes like this: • Environment: Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in 1962, kicked off the environmental movement with a strong focus on the role of man in harming the natural environment and the impacts on humans via the ecosystem. • Ozone layer: A 1976 report by the United States National Academy of Sciences,... Read More
How do we build in low carbon construction?
The level of activity within the construction sector is one sure-fire indicator of the health of the economy. The industry proceeds in waves; like buses, there is never a construction project when you expect one and then suddenly you get several in a row. In the South East alone we have had Heathrow terminal 5, the Olympic Park, Crossrail, Thameslink and Royal London Hospital. This is not to mention the resurgence in house-building that the Government... Read More
The Green Deal: why it needs a strong quotient of smaller companies
The Green Deal simply has to work. There is nothing else on the table to tackle the two key barriers to mass retrofit: the long ‘payback’ period of many energy saving measures, and the lack of up-front cash available to pay for the work. Under the Green Deal, there is to be only one statutory contractual relationship and that will be between the client (homeowner or tenant) and a Green Deal Provider (GDP). This will have to be a large corporation,... Read More
Five reasons why ‘Plan A’ generated £105m in 2012
At almost exactly the same moment as I delivered my first environmental behaviour change workshop for a client in January 2007, M&S launched its groundbreaking Plan A. I’ve come a long way in the last five and half years and so has M&S, as demonstrated with the recent release of its 2012, ‘How We Do Business Report’, so this blog will review M&S’ progress and highlight five of the reasons for its success. Boldness A key factor... Read More
The future of manufacturing: is it going small-scale?
Textile manufacturing could be portable Is manufacturing about to undergo the next step in its evolution: the reversion to local production? Globalised manufacturing today involves large-scale manufacturing at a handful of strategic locations around the world, from which products are shipped to their end destinations. However, there are a number of changes occurring in supply chains to challenge this prevailing model: Transport costs are increasing... Read More
Events and venues: how green are they?
Accor hotel group has launched a Carbon Optimizer for its business guests If you are a sustainability professional or working in one of the emerging green goods and services sectors, chances are you’ve attended or hosted more than one event in the last 12 months. Aside from the endless stream of green awards, there’s a myriad of events targeting the green business sector and aiming to tackle the sustainability challenges facing our world – everything... Read More
What’s the best approach to unlock value and drive sustainability?
Our earlier blogs have dealt with the sources of value that can help drive company financial and sustainability performance and the wide range of skills often required to deliver this value. A third question that we are asked often by clients is: ‘What is the right approach to identify opportunities and drive sustainability performance?’ Many companies have found themselves concentrating on reporting, compliance and passive/reactive adaptation.... Read More
When is an energy efficiency measure a “conservatory tax”?
Answer: A. When the policy is being carried out by a Conservative-run local council B. When it’s the work of a Liberal Democrat in Whitehall. (Answer at the bottom of this blog) If some of you are a bit bewildered by the latest political row that has erupted over the so-called “conservatory tax”, then join the club. It centres on a proposal being consulted upon as part of technical changes to building regulations, but importantly, one that... Read More
Green Deal pioneers, but will they open the way for more providers?
They’ve been described as the “Green Deal pioneers”. Yesterday, 21 UK firms and one community group ‘signed up’ to work with the Government to get its flagship energy efficiency programme off the ground by the ‘go live’ date of October 1. There was even a photo opportunity on the steps of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) offices in Whitehall, for those who turned up. British Gas, B&Q and other blue chip companies... Read More
Is the Green Deal going to go off with a bang or a whimper?
Greg Barker has been in his post for less than two years, but he must feel like a veteran Government Minister by now. He’s already had the Feed-in Tariff fiasco to deal with (still rumbling on five months after his department set the cat amongst the pigeons by retrospectively trying to cut the rates for solar electricity by half). Now he’s at the centre of another spat that threatens to derail his cherished Green Deal. The Big Six energy companies... Read More
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