New London Architecture
Our Agenda
Net Zero
31 March 2025
The Challenge of repurposing London’s Building Stock
NLA’s Retrofit & Conservation Expert Panel chair and BGY Director Andrew Henriques reflect on the panel’s latest meeting, where they discussed retrofit challenges in London.
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Net Zero
18 February 2025
Seizing the opportunity for office decarbonisation
Bill Watts, Max Fordham's Director of Decarbonisation, highlights how 4-pipe heat pump chillers support decarbonisation by upgrading heating and cooling systems.
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City of London, Net Zero
28 January 2025
ROMULUS: A new circular economy initiative
James Adams, Founder and Director of Maconda Solutions discusses the launch of ROMULUS, an entirely new circular economy initiative co-sponsored by the City of London Corporation.
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Net Zero
21 January 2025
Brooks Road Estate Retrofit: 20 Years On
Twenty years ago, Bell Phillips began with a winning design for Brooks Road Estate retrofit in East London. Read as they reflect on its success and retrofitting’s evolution since.
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Culture, Education & Health, Housing, Industrial & Logistics, Net Zero, Planning, Technical, Transport & Infrastructure, Work
14 January 2025
As we kick off 2025 Expert Panels, panel chairs share summaries, recommendations, reflections and key findings from across the 2024 meetings, visits and debates.
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Net Zero
14 January 2025
Head of Sustainability Georgia Laganakou reviews her time on the NLA’s Net Zero Expert Panel and assesses the challenges still facing the industry today.
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Net Zero
08 January 2025
Decoding the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard: Where do we start?
Richard Dudzicki, Director at RDA Architecture & Interiors, highlights the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard's potential through collaboration and sustainability.
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Net Zero
12 November 2024
Retrofit Reads: Extruded Asticus
The building slips calmly into its next cycle, a quiet intervention complete and sustained longevity continuing, Luke Schuberth of Aukett Swanke writes.
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Net Zero
05 November 2024
Tall Timber: The Future of Sustainable Urban Densification
Dalibor Savovic, Senior Associate at DeSimone, highlights mass timber’s role in sustainable building, retrofitting, and reducing carbon emissions in construction.
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Net Zero
05 November 2024
Retrofit Reads: A retrofit future needs holistic systems thinking
Gareth Atkinson, Director of Civic Engineers, highlights the need for holistic systems thinking in retrofitting to drive sustainability and resilience in future urban developments.
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Net Zero
29 October 2024
Retrofit Reads: The Power and Potential of Retrofit
Hazel Rounding, Managing Director at shedkm, explores retrofit’s role in creating social value, sustainability, and affordable urban spaces across the UK.
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Net Zero
22 October 2024
Retrofit Reads: The Importance of Retrofit for London's Future
AtkinsRéalis reflect on the Retrofit Summit, highlighting collaboration, sustainability, and solutions to future-proof buildings and cut carbon emissions.
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Net Zero
15 October 2024
Retrofit Reads: Reducing carbon in heritage projects
Andrew Morrison, Director and Project Lead, at Hopkins Architects discusses what the challenges and opportunities are for reducing carbon in heritage projects.
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Net Zero
08 October 2024
Jon Eaglesham, Managing Director at Barr Gazetas, reflects on Grainhouse, a sustainable retrofit project in Covent Garden, blending heritage with modern efficiency.
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Net Zero
01 October 2024
Retrofit reads: Greencoat & Gordon House
Derwent London Group Architect architect Tim Hyman, details the sustainable refurbishment of historic Victoria village buildings, transforming them into adaptable, eco-friendly workspaces.
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Net Zero
17 September 2024
Retrofit of Historic Strand Building
In an era focused on adaptive reuse, Galliard Homes and Chetwoods Architects’ conversion of 73–75 The Strand into Staycity’s Wilde Aparthotel showcases the potential of retrofitting.
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Net Zero
30 July 2024
Historic England releases an Advice Note
Historic England publishes new advice on adapting historic buildings for energy and carbon efficiency while conserving their significance and ensuring they remain viable places to live.
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Net Zero
08 February 2024
Showcasing the value of sustainable fit-out
Joanna Wilson, Sustainability Lead at Fletcher Priest Architects reflects on our recent webinar discussing the benefits of prioritising sustainability when approaching fit-out.
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Net Zero
06 February 2024
In recent years there’s been a growth in awareness of the benefits nature can provide in urban environments, Callum Mooney and Robert Winch of Hoare Lea write.
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City Dialogues, Net Zero
04 October 2023
A collaborative circular economy
Join a UK-wide discussion, during the Design for Planet Festival, on collaboratively transitioning to a circular economy with targeted points of discussion
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Net Zero
11 September 2023
Nathalie Bergvall, Director at JRA reflects on our latest half-day conference exploring the principles needed to build towards a sustainable future for all.
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Net Zero
21 August 2023
Tina Paillet Co-founder Circotrade and President Elect at RICS shares her viewpoint from our Circular London report, exploring the re-use of building materials.
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Net Zero
11 August 2023
What needs to happen to move London towards a circular economy?
Paul Smith, Commercial Director at Carrier shares his viewpoint on a Circular London, and the importance tackling the environmental impact of heating.
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Net Zero
07 August 2023
Five minutes with… Dr Martina Pacifici
David Taylor meets Dr Martina Pacifici, Senior Associate and Sustainability Lead for Adam Architecture to talk about her role and the sustainability challenges of historic buildings.
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Net Zero
07 August 2023
Policy and legislation: fostering the circular economy
Kai Liebetanz, Senior Sustainability Advisor at UK Green Building Council shares his viewpoint from our recent Circular London report on policy and legislation.
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Net Zero
03 August 2023
Can tall buildings be sustainable?
Luke Askwith of Gensler reflects on our recent debate on the feasibility of tall buildings being net zero, as we hear for and against the sustainability of high rises.
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Net Zero
31 July 2023
Peter Murray reflects on our recent 'Circular London: Building a renewable city' report, an update on how the capital is doing in conforming to the London Plan 2021.
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Net Zero
24 July 2023
Clive Nichol, CEO at Fabrix shares his viewpoint on designing a circular built environment from our latest 'Circular London: Building a renewable city' report.
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Net Zero
20 July 2023
Why we need a London Circular Construction Coalition
Colin Rose, Strategic Advisor and Partnership Lead – Built Environment, ReLondon, reflects on the launch of our recent report 'Circular London: Building a renewable city'.
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Net Zero
17 July 2023
How to design a circular built environment
Peter Swallow, Sustainability Lead at Grimshaw shares his viewpoint on designing a circular built environment from our latest 'Circular London: Building a renewable city' report.
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Net Zero
31 May 2023
Jon Eaglesham, Managing Director at Barr Gazetasreports from our recent Net Zero debate on a key question facing the industry: rebuilding or retrofitting?
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Net Zero
06 December 2022
Technical Explainer: Decarbonisation
Bill Watts of Max Fordham breaks down decarbonisation and the everyday considerations we should be taking to improve building efficiency.
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Net Zero
04 November 2022
Anna Lisa McSweeney, White Arkitekter reflects on our recent webinar discussing the impact of COP26 one year on, and the key role built environment professionals play in the journey to Net Zero.
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Net Zero
18 October 2022
London should align net zero with growth
Sounding board suggests the capital needs to seize opportunities from under-fire government initiatives including investment zones.
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Net Zero
11 October 2022
Pioneering use of Materials Passports at London’s Edenica
Designed by Fletcher Priest Architects and now under construction in the City of London, the 94,000 sq ft Edenica office development at 100 Fetter Lane is on track to set a significant sustainability...
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Net Zero
10 October 2022
Thinking beyond the high-rise to decarbonise the built environment
Mina Hasman presented 'Urban Sequoia' at last years COP26 - a concept addressing the climate crisis by designing buildings to act like urban trees.
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Net Zero
06 October 2022
COP27 as it happens: Webinar, Tuesday 8 November
On Tuesday 8 November, during the Design Council's ‘Design for planet’ festival, join the webinar on the built environment sector's expectations for COP27.
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Net Zero
04 October 2022
Ecocity Summit: London’s Ambassadors & Advisors announced
Ecocity have announced the London Ambassadors and Committee Advisors for the World Summit next year, ahead of the October launch of the open call for contributing research and ideas.
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Net Zero
14 September 2022
As we wrap up the latest cycle of NLA Expert Panels, Ashley Bateson summarises strategic areas from the Net Zero Expert Panel that they will take forward into the next cycle.
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Net Zero
25 August 2022
World Water Week 2022: How architects and the built environment can make a difference
As this week is World Water Week 2022, it is essential that we raise the conversation on how the built environment can aid in tackling humanity’s greatest water challenges.
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Net Zero
18 August 2022
Better building and urban design are the answers, not more air conditioning
The role of the architect has probably never been so important and globally, as a profession, we need to embrace that challenge; we cannot ignore the lessons if we are to design responsibly in the fut...
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Net Zero
14 June 2022
Ruth Hynes, Associate Design Researcher at Atkins, summarises the 8 June 2022 Think Tank focused on the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to a green economy.
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Conservation & Heritage, Net Zero
07 March 2022
Retrofit – industry resolves to step up its act
Amy Chadwick Till of NLA and Marion Baeli of PDP London report from the 2022 NLA Retrofit Conference.
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Net Zero
18 January 2022
Q&A with Kirstin Miller, Chief Executive, Ecocity Builders
Kirstin Miller, Chief Executive of Ecocity Builders speaks to Ecocity London Summit Director, Amy Chadwick Till, about the history of Ecocity World Summits, and London’s winning bid to host in 2023.
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Net Zero
16 November 2021
Review of NLA publication “Resilient London, Confronting Climate Change”
Tim den Dekker is an associate at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. He is a co-author of Part Z. He summarises the key talking points and stresses the importance of the NLA 'Resilient London' report.
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Net Zero
16 November 2021
The NLA programme on Day One of COP kicked off with a discussion as part of UKGBC's initiative to bring together 40 organisations, including NLA, RIBA, National Infrastructure Commission and BPF, to d...
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Net Zero
15 November 2021
Post-COP26 cities must have ‘pivot to action’
Arup/NLA briefing session on COP26 hears how words must be followed up with concerted action and investment towards carbon goals
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Net Zero
08 November 2021
UK cities share climate strategies
NLA link up with Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and the City of London hears what cities are doing to mitigate climate events.
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Net Zero
01 November 2021
COP26 Build Better Now and other events on climate change to explore this month
The COP26 climate summit is finally upon us. Discover NLA's events, reports and activities supporting the climate agenda.
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Net Zero
18 October 2021
Gascoigne Estate focuses on nature-based solutions and MMC
Estate developers forced to abandon timber for concrete but shift emphasis on SUDS and creating better-connected, 15-minute neighbourhood
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Net Zero
11 October 2021
London facing ‘enormous challenge’ to stay resilient
NLA launches Resilient London report amid calls to install SUDs across the capital but prepare for more extreme weather events
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Net Zero
20 August 2021
Behaviour changes essential for retrofit mission
Housing experts say net zero crusade would be helped by home-owners making small changes and government dropping VAT on retrofits
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Net Zero
17 August 2021
The future of hybrid heat networks
Pete Mills, Commercial Technical Operations Manager at Bosch Commercial and Industrial, discusses how hybrid heating systems will future-proof district heating schemes
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Net Zero
06 August 2021
JRA delve deep into one of the hottest topics in construction, sustainability.
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Net Zero, Transport & Infrastructure
26 July 2021
Five minutes with...Paul Curtis
David Taylor catches up with Vectos associate director Paul Curtis to discuss the firm’s Net Zero Transport report, 15-minute cities and living locally, getting people out of cars, active travel and l...
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Net Zero
22 June 2021
London climate resilience and priorities for COP26 - NLA Expert Panel on Net Zero
The NLA Expert Panel on Net Zero Panel discussed what resilience issues are going to potentially impact on London’s future, looking at the city’s natural and built environment.
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Net Zero
11 June 2021
The Power of Integrated Systems
A thought piece on the celebration of a greener future and the need to embrace integrated natural systems that restore and regenerate a healthier planet and a happier landscape culture.
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Net Zero
01 June 2021
NLA joins coalition to deliver Built Environment Virtual Pavilion at COP26 Climate Summit
NLA is joining UKGBC’s initiative to deliver a Built Environment Virtual Pavilion at COP26 to raise the voice of the built environment sector during the climate talks later this year.
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Net Zero
21 May 2021
Five minutes with...Graham Hurrell
David Taylor meets Graham Hurrell, Wicona UK Sales Director at Hydro Building Systems UK to get the lowdown on how its re-use of ‘scrap’ aluminium is offering ‘huge’ reductions in carbon footprints fo...
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Net Zero
14 May 2021
Net Zero Think Tank - through the prism of Civic's Carbon pledge one year on.
As part of the Net Zero Programme the NLA recently hosted a Think Tank on city resilience and how cities can adapt to climate change. Gareth Atkinson reflects on the changes that Civic Engineers are c...
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Net Zero
20 April 2021
NLA responds to the Future Buildings Standards consultation
The NLA Expert Panel on Net Zero have submitted a response to the government consultation ‘Future Buildings Standards’ on behalf of New London Architecture (NLA) and NLA joins several other built envi...
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Net Zero
12 April 2021
Nick McGough from Weston Williamson+Partners on how Project HEART is seeking to reimagine UK regional air travel as both an environmentally and economically sustainable transport mode.
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Net Zero
26 March 2021
Adaptation, flexibility and opportunity to change are key to London’s climate resilience
How is climate change affecting London? Is the capital prepared to respond to climate risks? In other word, is London resilient? A group of experts and built environment professionals discussed climat...
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Net Zero
25 March 2021
NLA Expert Panel on Net Zero responds to the Government’s green agenda
The fourth meeting of the NLA Expert Panel on NetZero focussed on the Government's net zero carbon agenda. The panel discussed the proposed Future Buildings Standard, the Government's 10 point plan fo...
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Net Zero
09 February 2021
Five minutes with… Golnaz Ighany
David Taylor talks to Stanton Williams sustainability manager Golnaz Ighany about the practice’s move to Carbon Neutral Plus certification, climate, competitive advantage and perhaps cycling up to the...
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Net Zero
05 February 2021
Bringing Timber to the Table: Promoting Innovative Solutions for a Net Zero Future
With developments in design technology, the scope of timber construction has expanded exponentially over the past 20 years from private houses to schools, apartment blocks, long-span industrial buildi...
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Net Zero
28 January 2021
Five minutes with... Basil Demeroutis
David Taylor catches up with FORE Partnership managing partner Basil Demeroutis to hear about the firm’s new B Corp status, ambitious net zero targets and aims to help raise the public perceptions of...
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Net Zero
21 January 2021
To retrofit or not retrofit, that is the question
Should you always retrofit? That was the question grappled by architects and engineers during a webinar this week put together by Max Fordham and Partners and aimed at helping to hit the UK’s critical...
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Net Zero
13 January 2021
Heating up London's Green Industrial Revolution
Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical - Building Solutions at REHAU Ltd discusses how London can lower carbon emissions through an increase in uptake in renewable heat, across both the publ...
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Net Zero
11 December 2020
A ‘fabric first’ reconfiguration of prominent Canary Wharf building
Peta Nicholls, associate director at BuckleyGrayYeoman, tells us about the recently approved plans to refurbish 30 South Colonnade in Canary Wharf, home toThomson Reuters for 15 years, to create a NIA...
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Net Zero
11 December 2020
Net Zero in action - a tale of two projects
Architects and engineers behind two major London projects showed how the principles and practices they employed are bearing fruit in sustainable solutions and reduced carbon emissions. Heyne Tillett S...
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Net Zero
03 December 2020
Hilson Moran has been involved in six of the NLA Zero Carbon London showcase projects. What is incredibly exciting about the selection is their diversity and Design Director Marie-Louise Schembri take...
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Net Zero
19 November 2020
Green finance experts warn over cash and supply side challenges
Experts in green finance gave a broad welcome to prime minister Boris Johnson’s 10-point plan to create a green industrial revolution – but warned that they lack the government cash required and a sup...
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Net Zero
16 November 2020
Decarbonising Design From The Start
In response to the climate emergency’s severity, and with the built environment’s huge contribution to carbon emissions and other environmental indicators, AKT II has developed a holistic approach tha...
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Net Zero
12 November 2020
The true value of a greener city
As the world continues to grapple with the wide-reaching impact of COVID-19 on people’s lifestyles and daily norms – there has also been a greater level of importance placed on ‘greenery’ as a marker...
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Net Zero
12 November 2020
London needs a ‘route map’ to zero carbon
London and the rest of the UK needs a ‘route map’, more retrofitting and a collective effort from the built environment industry to get to net zero. But it must also continue to make the point that su...
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Net Zero
08 October 2020
The approach to delivering healthy and sustainable buildings has undergone a seismic shift over the past 20 years. Mark Tillett looks at smart, sustainable solutions for the future of buildings.
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Net Zero
02 October 2020
London to focus on post-COVID wellbeing
London will need to shift its perspective to focus on employees’ agency and health and wellbeing issues as well as creating a new generation of buildings which are flexible and can help with climate c...
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Net Zero
24 September 2020
Our behaviours changed overnight in response to this pandemic crisis as a combination of strict government directives and self-preservation. The collective effort that most countries have put in place...
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Net Zero
18 September 2020
Net Zero experts reveal barriers - and signs of progress
Developers are starting to take action on Net Zero, some local authorities are leading the way and things like Goldsmith Street winning the Stirling Prize last year show that Net Zero principles are g...
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Net Zero
20 August 2020
Five minutes with…Andrew Leiper, Net Zero Carbon Leader, Max Fordham
Net Zero Carbon Leader at Max Fordham Andrew Leiper spends ‘Five Minutes With’ David Taylor to restress the importance of the environmental mission for the whole team – even in the age of COVID taking...
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Net Zero
04 August 2020
Deep energy retrofit: Enhancing energy efficiency in the built environment
Cities play a crucial role in shaping the climate agenda, accounting for about 65 per cent of global energy demand and 70 per cent of energy related CO2 emissions. Of that, buildings are responsible f...
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Net Zero
31 July 2020
Institutional barriers to climate change
3 key findings; cultural barriers to climate change; recent green government package, and how global cities are preparing for future climate events.
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Net Zero
22 July 2020
Soapbox: Accelerating a Better Built Environment
Bianca Wong, Global Head of Sustainability at Kingspan Group, argues that the company’s 10-year Planet Passionate programme aims to help address key factors contributing to climate change within a con...
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Net Zero
10 July 2020
Soapbox: Realising the 21st Century Green Industrial Revolution
Craig Beresford, Chief Operating Officer of Property at Waterman Group says we must act now to achieve the biggest opportunity of our lifetime and bring about the ‘21st century Green Industrial Revolu...
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Net Zero
21 May 2020
The NLA Expert Panel sent a letter to the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government in response to the consultation concerning the ban on the use of combustible materials in buildings.The p...
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Net Zero
14 May 2020
‘Seize the moment and accelerate climate action’
London must seize the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to accelerate plans towards a green recovery and zero carbon city, suggested deputy mayor for environment and energy Shirley Rodrigues at a Net...
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Net Zero
07 May 2020
A special NLA meeting of experts on the net zero challenge for London provided an opportunity for a range of property and sustainability specialists to discuss current thinking on arguably the greates...
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Net Zero
09 April 2020
Campaigners urge government to ‘Save safe structural timber’
Waugh Thistleton and Urban Splash have joined forces to mount a campaign to tackle the climate emergency by persuading government not to ban CLT as part of its push on combustible materials in constru...
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Net Zero
17 January 2020
The scale of the sustainability challenge facing London needs to be broken down and simplified if the capital is to hit its zero carbon targets. But the mission needs help from important ‘missing’ pa...
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Net Zero
18 September 2019
Turn attention to under-occupied homes, sustainability conference hears
David Taylor summarises 'Designing for a changing climate: towards zero-carbon London', a conference at NLA yesterday that underlined the importance of changing the ‘mindset, measuring, evaluating and...
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Net Zero
24 April 2018
Improving sustainable performance
Key take-aways from a Think Tank held at the offices of Hoare Lea, entitled Improving sustainable performance: sticks, carrots and nudges.
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