In his book, ‘A Life On Our Planet’, Sir David Attenborough paints a bleak picture of what lies ahead if humanity continues to live as unsustainably as it is currently. It’s not a complete picture of doom and gloom, however, as he also lays out a series of actions we might take to prevent further damage and actually reverse some of the impact we have had on the natural world. A key part of that involves switching from a mindset that’s addicted to growth to a focus on a new sustainable measure of success involving the three Ps – people, planet and profit. Read on to find out more about this, including what we in the construction industry can do to embrace this way of thinking.
The UK, Welsh and Scottish governments have signed up to a legally-binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2050. But to keep this target on track, the Construction Industry Training Board estimates that around 350,000 new construction jobs will need to be created by 2028, particularly outlining the need for green building specialists to reduce carbon emissions. This looks set to present both significant challenges and huge opportunities for construction companies. Read this week’s blog to find out more.
A year has now passed since the UK went into its first lockdown and, as well as this being such a tragic time for so many people, it’s also been a period when the government has poured an unprecedented £340bn into schemes intended to support companies and individuals through the crisis. Amidst all that COVID-related spending, it can be easy to forget that the country has several other priorities – not least of which is the urgency around climate change. Kicking off what is being dubbed the ‘green industrial revolution’, the government recently unveiled a £1bn funding pot for projects across England that will help to cut emissions from public buildings, schools and hospitals.
While the central role of a roof in covering and protecting the inside of a building from what goes on outside has remained the same, advancements within the industry mean that modern day roofing often goes far beyond the basics. New technologies have added functionality and brought several benefits into roofing systems and with so much going on, we thought we’d use this week’s blog to shine a light on two fairly recent innovations – cool roofing and blue roofing.
The UK has traditionally been known for its temperate climate – meaning our weather has rarely involved extremes in terms of heat, cold, drought or wind. With the current heatwave taking our daytime temperatures to 30 degrees and beyond (plus tropical nights of 20+ degrees), experts are warning that that this is likely to be…