refurbishment

UK Green Building Council encourages firms to tackle embodied carbon

The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) has offered new guidance for construction and building firms on how to decarbonise their operations and supply chains further, through effective embodied carbon measurement.

The Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Episode 14 – The past, present and future of green buildings

As edie's green buildings month draws to a close, we visit the inspirational home of the UK Green Building Council for a live episode of the podcast, including an exclusive chat with the Council's campaign and policy director John Alker.

Social sustainability

Green Building Council office refurb sets record for low-carbon impact

The central London headquarters of the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC), which played host to edie's latest podcast episode, has achieved the lowest embodied carbon footprint ever recorded for a UK office refurbishment.

Energy

UKGBC to create sustainable exemplar for built environment through headquarters retrofit

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has unveiled the blueprints for the refurbishment of its London headquarters, which attempts to outline the feasibility of sustainable initiatives in the built environment.

Energy

Investors call for legally-binding, zero-energy building standards

A group of climate investors have urged the European Union to create and implement a binding, long-term target that re-shapes energy frameworks and pushes building sectors across the continent towards a near-zero energy standard by 2050.

Energy

Circular thinking – a miracle cure for NHS waste management?

Britain's healthcare system has historically had a poor track-record in waste management and recycling. But things are beginning to change, with several NHS Trusts now adopting more circular business models, as Maxine Perella finds out.

Circular economy

Extracting the real value in ESOS

Hugh Jones, managing director of Carbon Trust Advisory, looks at the compelling business case of energy efficiency and how businesses can take advantage of the UK Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) to improve business performance.

Energy

Green Alliance: Tech giants must embrace circular business models

An increased focus on recycling and repairing consumer electronics could cut the carbon footprint of each device by up to half, according to a new report from the Green Alliance.

Creating a story with a happy ending

Being National Storytelling Week, it got me thinking about my eighteen year old nephew, Jack, and about his generation of teenagers. By 2050, many of them will be in their fifties. They may have children, or even grandchildren by that age. I think about how they will describe their younger years.

Energy

Why should governments pay businesses to reduce their electricity consumption?

The Carbon Trust's Electricity Demand Reduction (EDR) project director Paul McKinney investigates the importance of 'negawatts' and the UK's new Electricity Demand Reduction pilot...

Energy

VIDEO: Empire State Building takes energy efficiency to new heights

The world's most famous office building is reaping the benefits of its innovative energy efficiency programme with a saving of almost $3m in 2013.

Caterpillar seeks to push remanufacture into restricted markets

Caterpillar is examining how it can increase global access to its remanufactured products, especially in developing markets where trade barriers exist.

Microsoft-iFixit scheme offers free training for fledgling repair and reuse firms

Microsoft has entered into a partnership with iFixit, the online repair manual site, to boost the reuse market for smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Greener buildings could save UK £12bn a year says SEA energy manifesto

INFOGRAPHIC: A new manifesto published today (7 July) by the Sustainable Energy Association (SEA) has calculated that the UK could save £12.1billion per year by 2050 by focusing energy policy on greener buildings.

Microsoft, Sony and Panasonic commit to more responsible recycling

Microsoft, Panasonic, Xerox and Sony America have teamed up to back a new programme to encourage more reuse and responsible recycling of used consumer electronics goods.