#Building Decarbonisation Update

[johnbrace]

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority 9th June 2023 Part 1 of 3

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

“The share of Russian gas in EU imports dropped from 45% in 2021 to 18% by June 2024, while imports from trusted partners like Norway and the US have increased,” the European Commission writes(..)Naturally, much of the strategy for reducing their addiction to fossil gas is by building more renewable energy capacity. Within the new report itself, the European Commission writes, “In particular, the scale up of renewable energy production was at the centre of the REPowerEU Plan’s objective to build a secure and decarbonised energy system in the EU. The latest data show excellent results with the increase of installed wind and solar capacity by 36% between 2021 and 2023, saving approximately 35 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas over 2 years(..)

P.S.Europe has enough of its own renewable energy resources to not need to import any fossil fuels at all. Taking into account the negative factors created by Trumpism in US politics, it is in the strategic interests of the European Union to get rid of fossil fuels imported from America as soon as possible...

[architectnews]

LWK + PARTNERS Architects, Hong Kong

LWK + PARTNERS Architects, Building, HK Design Studio Images, Architecture Office China

LWK + PARTNERS Hong Kong Architects

Contemporary HK Architect Practice – Chinese Design Studio Info + News

post updated 24 September 2021

LWK + PARTNERS Architects News

24 Sep 2021 Two LWK + PARTNERS projects earn esteemed recognitions at The Global RLI Awards 2021

LWK + PARTNERS is pleased to announce that two of the firm’s design projects in China won distinguished acclaims at world-renowned The Global RLI Awards 2021. The awards were announced in a hybrid presentation ceremony held in London on 23 September.

Zijing Paradise Walk, Hangzhou, China • RLI Most Innovative Retail & Entertainment Project (Highly Commended)

Designed with culture and wellness themes, this shopping mall freshens up the local retail scene with playful references to village life, Hui-style architecture and traditional Chinese gardens. Not only is the building aesthetically pleasing, but it also provides cool shades for passers-by with shifting and cantilevered forms.

image courtesy of architects Zijing Paradise Walk, Hangzhou

MixC Dongguan Songshan Lake District Mixed Use Development, Dongguan, China • RLI Future Project (Highly Commended)

The project is conceived as a catalyst of urban transformation turning a sub-urban industrial landscape to a robust lifestyle and cultural hub. Featuring diverse energising public spaces and multifarious greenery, the project also benefits the community with premium apartments and commercial facilities.

Ferdinand Cheung, Director of LWK + PARTNERS, joined the ceremony online and noted: “I would like to thank RLI and the jury for the recognition. Credits to the team for their continuous efforts through the challenges in both projects. We also look forward to the completion of the MixC project in Dongguan.”

The Global RLI Awards celebrates the most visionary and innovative retail and leisure concepts from across the globe. Since its inception 16 years ago, it has been regarded as one of the world’s most representative award programmes in the sector.

8 Sep 2021 LWK + PARTNERS Zero energy buildings design image courtesy of LWK + PARTNERS LWK + PARTNERS Zero energy buildings design Building construction and operations make up 38% of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions, according to the 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction published by UN Environment Programme. To significantly decarbonise our buildings, one of the key innovations being actively explored by architects is the idea of a ‘zero energy building’, which has attracted much discussion across the building industry and academia and is now increasingly seen as critical for the future sustainable smart cities.

8 July 2021 Green Shore Residence Phase II, tip of Luoxi Island in Panyu, Guangzhou, south eastern China image courtesy of architects office Green Shore Residence, Luoxi Island Cities, as they develop, are known to leave their mark on the skylines. Green Shore Residence Phase II, a top-end luxury residence in Guangzhou, China designed by LWK + PARTNERS, is an architectural response to the relationship between the island and city where it resides.

31 May 2021 Asia Pacific Property Awards 2021-2022 News

Five projects by LWK + PARTNERS have attained honourable titles, including three 5-Star and two Winner, at Asia Pacific Property Awards 2021-2022. One of the projects, Tsuen Wan Sports Centre, Hong Kong, China is also Nominee of Best Leisure Architecture Asia Pacific, competing with other top projects for the region’s best. The virtual ceremony was held on 28 May 2021.

Tsuen Wan Sports Centre, Hong Kong, China: image courtesy of architects

LWK + PARTNERS Asia Pacific Property Awards 2021

29 Oct 2020 Radisson Collection Resort, Nanjing, China Design: LWK + PARTNERS image courtesy of architects Radisson Collection Resort Nanjing The low-rise resort complex consists of 151 deluxe guest rooms and suites, accompanied by comprehensive amenities like a lobby bar, all-day dining restaurant, Chinese restaurant, executive lounge, function rooms, meeting rooms, a fitness centre, swimming pool and spa.

20 October 2020 Streets as the impetus of community life image courtesy of LWK + PARTNERS Streets as the impetus of community life LWK + PARTNERS Director HC Chan sees immense opportunities in excavating the power of street life to preserve cultural diversity and walkability. Fostering a liveable city requires the engagement of various stakeholders. Policy makes up one side of the story, but the participation of residents in placemaking is equally important for achieving urban spaces truly fulfilling for the local people.

4 August 2020 LWK + PARTNERS Lighting Design image courtesy of LWK + PARTNERS LWK + PARTNERS Lighting Design

6 July 2020 LWK + PARTNERS Saudi Arabia Office The new LWK + PARTNERS Riyadh studio will be led by Kerem Cengiz, Managing Director – MENA (right), and Usama Aziz, a new Director. LWK + PARTNERS Saudi Arabia Office

1 June 2020 Shijiazhuang Zhao Hua Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, North China image courtesy of architects Shijiazhuang Zhao Hua Hospital in China Our planet’s population is now going through the biggest shared experience in decades due to COVID-19, and the way people think about life and illness today is incomparable with any time in history.

Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre Temporary Quarantine Facilities photo : Paul Y. – iMax Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre Facilities

OCT Caoqiao Cultural Commercial Street, Hunan Province, China image courtesy of architects Hunan OCT Caoqiao Cultural Commercial Street

27 Apr 2020 Zhongshan OCT Harbour Development, Shenzhen area – west coast of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, China image courtesy of architects office Zhongshan OCT Harbour Development

31 Mar 2020 Hebei Grand Hotel, Anyue, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, North China image courtesy of architects office Hebei Grand Hotel, Anyue in Shijiazhuang, China When it comes to aesthetics and simple living, the past can be a rich source of inspiration. LWK + PARTNERS recently completed Hebei Grand Hotel, Anyue in a new Central Business District of Shijiazhuang; part of the fast-growing Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan region.

23 Feb 2020 Xichen Paradise Walk, Chengdu, China image courtesy of architects practice Xichen Paradise Walk Retail Complex in Chengdu, China Retail spaces are evolving into lifestyle complexes that are inspiring, diversified and immersive to surround visitors with a curated experience to fulfil various lifestyle and social needs. Xichen Paradise Walk encourages social interaction and community life with high transparency and accessibility to bring together people, their neighbourhoods and nature.

25 Nov 2019 Kei Cuisine, Hong Kong, China photography : iMAGE28 Kei Cuisine Restaurant Hong Kong Successfully marriage of Japanese and Chinese cultures to create an elegant ambience for Kei Cuisine, a luxury Cantonese restaurant located in one of Hong Kong’s core retail areas. Out of client’s passion for Japanese culture, the team took inspiration from the Yoshida Fire Festival.

12 Nov 2019 TIANFU ONE Exhibition Gallery, Chengdu, China photograph : Guanhong Chen Tianfu One Exhibition Gallery Chengdu Building Comfortably perched at the eastern end of a green corridor in Chengdu’s Tianfu New District, TIANFU ONE Exhibition Gallery enjoys panoramic views of the Luxihe wetland park just across the road. The architecture firm leveraged its proximity to both urban life and natural greenery to craft an observation deck culminating at the end of the city’s main artery.

20 Oct 2019 The LOOP, Chongqing City, southwest China photo : WOHO The LOOP in Chongqing The LOOP is the sales gallery for Shun Shan Fu, a low-density residential development composed of various luxurious villas and houses.

16 Oct 2019 Vanke Forest Park Sales Gallery, Chongqing City, southwest China photo : Guanhong Chen Chongqing Vanke Forest Park Sales Gallery Scenery is beauty; nature is grandeur. Abandon screams and self-expression, and embrace silence and tranquillity… ‘Retreat’ is a design attitude.

13 Oct 2019 Spiritual Bay Pavilion, Qingdao, China photography : Xuesong Zhang & Guanhong Chenn Spiritual Bay Pavilion in Qingdao Spiritual Bay Pavilion in Qingdao recently opened. Just 120 metres off the Yellow Sea coast, the project is endowed with perks of nature at Guzhenkou’s Lingxi Bay near the intersection of Yingshanhong Road and Haijun Road, enjoying distant views of the Dazhushan Scenic Area.

14 Oct 2019 Legend Gallery, Chongqing City, southwest China photography : Guanhong CHEN, Lian HE Chongqing Jiangshan Yun Chu As a lifestyle gallery, Chongqing Jiangshan Yun Chu – Legend Gallery is a trial for and response to localised architecture. It explores the spatial interaction between nature and urban space on a site close to Chongqing’s Jialing River bank, where the waterscape forms a rare natural setting for the urban area.

26 Sep 2019

LWK + PARTNERS Architects – Key Projects

LWK + PARTNERS Recognised with Four Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets 2019

26th September 2019 – Four projects by LWK + PARTNERS have been recognised in the Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets 2019, at a presentation ceremony that took place in Dubai yesterday, an event attended by e-architect founder and co-Editor Adrian Welch.

Landmarks Riverside Park – Phase II Danzishi Old Street, Chongqing, China, by LWK + PARTNERS: images courtesy of architects office

Shijiazhuang’s Zhengding Li Mixed-use Development is Winner of the Retail Project Award (Future), Chongqing’s Landmark Riverside Park – Phase II: Danzishi Old Street was made Winner of the Retail Project Award (Built), while Hangzhou’s Gallium Valley Science Park and The Pavilia Bay in Hong Kong are Highly Commended respectively for the Commercial Project Award (Future) and Residential – Medium to High Rise Project Award (Built).

Gallium Valley Science Park, Hangzhou, China, by LWK + PARTNERS Hong Kong: image courtesy of architects

Zhengding Li Mixed-use Development is located in the new central business district adjacent to the historical city of Zhengding in Shijiazhuang of China’s Hebei province. This retail-led development comprises SOHO offices, serviced apartments as well as a resort hotel, all linked up by pedestrian-friendly retail streets. Such a model of mixed-use development will promote a sustainable and zero-carbon community which is a main theme for future living.

LWK + PARTNERS Architects, Hong Kong:

Landmarks Riverside Park – Phase II: Danzishi Old Street in Chongqing, China, sits on a rejuvenated riverside heritage site. A retail complex by nature, Danzishi Old Street now offers a comprehensive cultural commercial experience that bridges the old and new, the oriental and the western. While many traditional spots were preserved and historical buildings refurbished, new structures were built with a modern Chinese architectural style so the old and new assimilate impressively well.

Zhengding Li Mixed-use Development, Shijiazhuang, China:

Gallium Valley Science Park is at the heart of the Cloud Valley technology cluster in Hangzhou, China, aimed to promote the development of e-commerce and the artificial-intelligence sector. It is located to the south of the new Xihu University and adjacent to a river, encouraging synergy with the tertiary institution while enjoying scenic surroundings. The project advocates a new office-park typology that blends greenery and communal spaces in the work environment, encouraging work-life balance in a professional industry.

The Pavilia Bay, Hong Kong, China:

The Pavilia Bay is a seafront residential development in Hong Kong, China, facing the serene Rambler Channel and surrounded by dense greenery of a nearby park. Its architecture invokes the beautiful image of a yacht embarking its journey towards the waters, with this theme carried all the way from macro building form, elevation right through to the interiors.

The Pavilia Bay, Hong Kong, China:

To take full advantage of the site, residential towers are oriented to maximize sea views for each residential unit. Residents have access to a host of clubhouse amenities such as an infinite pool, gym, and children’s play area.

Landmarks Riverside Park Chongqing:

As Hong Kong-based architectural practice LWK + PARTNERS continues to expand in China, Asia and MENA, the Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets are the latest testament of international recognition towards its diverse design expertise. In addition to the awards, LWK + PARTNERS takes part in the exhibition and conferences of Cityscape Global, which is an annual real estate investment and development event, to shed light on the latest developments of the industry. LWK + PARTNERS Directors Ivan Fu, Ferdinand Cheung and Corina Leung gave insightful presentations offering perspectives and knowledge illustrated by powerful built-environment solutions.

Gallium Valley Science Park buildings in Hangzhou, China: image courtesy of architects

The Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets recognises and celebrates excellence across real estate developments and architecture. Covering a range of categories, the awards offer international architects and leading real estate developers a prestigious platform to collaborate and share their vision for the future, from culturally integrated city skylines to sustainable urban communities.

Zhengding Li Development, Shijiazhuang, China:

More projects by LWK + PARTNERS online soon

Address: LWK + PARTNERS (HK) Ltd, 6-8/F & 15/F, North Tower, World Finance Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Phone: +852 2574 1633

Architects Practice Information

LWK + PARTNERS are a HK-based architectural design studio

Hong Kong Architects Offices – Architecture Firm Listings

LWK + PARTNERS is a leading design architecture practice rooted in Hong Kong. They are a platform with design specialists who deliver world-class solutions to the built environment.

Their 1,000+ creative minds collaborate across a network of 11 offices around the globe providing services including architecture, planning & urban design, interiors, heritage conservation, landscape, building information modelling (BIM), lifestyle and lighting design.

LWK + PARTNERS creates infinite possibilities.

Hong Kong Architects

Website: https://www.lwkp.com

Hong Kong Architecture

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Comments / photos for the LWK + PARTNERS Architects – Chinese Architecture Practice page welcome

The post LWK + PARTNERS Architects, Hong Kong appeared first on e-architect.

[aluprof]

Future Homes - Sustainable Cities

by Wojciech Brozyna - MD of Aluprof UK

Around a third of all our energy use in the UK is used in our homes. With the majority of this energy used in heating, this equates to about forty MTOE (million tonnes of oil equivalent) used every year. The UK Government have some ambitious plans to cut energy usage by 2050 in many sectors. Glasgow will be hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), from 31 October to 12 November 2021 and the UK is striving to take a global lead to drastically cut carbon emissions.

The last change to our legislative window U-values for new homes was implemented in Approved Document, Part L in 2013. Little has changed since then, but, that is all set to change following the Government’s recent Future Homes Standard Consultation. The updated Part L will likely be finalised and released at the end of 2021 to be introduced into legislation early in 2022. This will likely mean the introduction of window systems having to meet a lower U-value of 1.2 W/m2K (in England) for the ‘notional’ building and the possible introduction of triple glazing. Following this change, it is likely that Part L will be further revised in 2025, possibly taking window U-values down to 0.8 W/m2K. The changes are the result of the Government mission to achieving net-zero carbon by 2050 and ensuring that new homes are built to be “zero-carbon ready” as the National Electricity Grid decarbonises.

With the introduction of revised air tightness requirement, down from the limiting value of 10 m³/h.m² at 50Pa to 8 m³/h.m² at 50Pa (with 5.0 m3/h.m2 at 50Pa for the notional building) using the ‘blower door’ test method or a new ‘Pulse’ test method, our building structures are likely to become even more airtight. It is suggested that a house achieving an airtightness of 5 m³/h.m² will use 40% less energy on space heating than a house built to 2013 standards of 10 m³/h.m². With stricter airtightness, this calls into question how we can retain heat in our buildings in winter whilst maintaining healthy indoor air quality for well-being with controllable natural ventilation.

Will the change in thermal requirements in Part L and the revised guidance in Approved Document L Volume 1 change the material of choice for specifiers? Probably not, as both of the predominant materials chosen for new construction, aluminium and PVC, can achieve the U-values required, albeit they will be thicker, more thermally efficient and may carry triple or quadruple glazing, consequently products will become more expensive. Balancing this increased cost will be increased product quality which is likely to offer products an increased in-use life, possibly up to twice the current life expectancy.

There are three areas of carbon emissions we have to remember; the production and installation of a product, what the product can save (or use) during its useful life and what value it has at its end of life, or how it can be reused or recycled. Reducing the rate of replacement will significantly reduce carbon. In the future, we may be required to prove a carbon payback if a lesser performing product is to be replaced with a newer carbon saving product. Aluminium has proven its almost 100% recycling ability with no loss of structural strength, however, with long life comes the shortage of end of life recycling and currently, we can only supply up to 50% of the global demand for the material. Product recycling and sustainability are crucial if we are to ensure cyclical ‘cradle to cradle’ material resources in the future. Specifying aluminium will ensure its continued use for generations to come. 75% of all aluminium ever produced since 1880, when it became commercially viable, is still in use today.

There will likely be a move to adopting differing designs of windows and doors in the future to make the most of high insulation glazing, such as reducing sightlines to a minimum. This may mean a move to sliding systems for large glazed opening doors and the adoption of tilt turn window systems. Will this herald a move away from the UK’s love of the outward opening ‘casement’ window?

What does seem to be missing in this rapid move towards increasing thermal efficiency and airtightness in our future builds is the need for air ventilation, particularly in our homes. This is crucial for our well-being and continued health. We know that sealing up a small dwelling will eventually lead to condensation appearing on the coolest elements in the room, sometimes a wall or an abutment with a ceiling, where dampness can turn quickly into unhealthy mould growth. This is particularly relevant in social housing where occupants may be reluctant to ventilate due to the cost incurred in reheating. It, therefore, seems logical for future legislation to include mechanical ventilation with efficient heat recovery, or indeed cooling of incoming fresh air depending on the time of year.

Another issue that we do need to attend to as an industry is the robust detailing of interfaces between windows and doors and the building structure. Cold bridges often decrease the claimed efficiencies within a building construction that can reduce the effectiveness in use of a designed build by up to 50% of its claimed thermal efficiency.  As an industry, should we be doing more to incorporate or encourage the specification of interface designs that reduce cold bridging to an absolute minimum?

Here at Aluprof we already have an approved range of high-efficiency windows, doors and curtain walls which all meet Passivhaus accreditation. As a member of the Passivhaus Trust in the UK we are supplying systems for new and refurbishment properties whilst working closely with the trust regarding installation. In each of our technical manuals, we show how our products can be installed to ensure the minimum of cold bridging. Our team of engineers are also on hand to work with architects and designers to help detail thermally efficient interfaces for Aluprof windows and doors into any structure.

Since setting up the Aluprof Office at the Business Design Centre in London, the company has rapidly grown their specification influence in the UK with their high-performance architectural aluminium systems. Further expansion of the company’s headquarters in Altrincham now provides specifiers with meeting facilities and an extensive showroom of commercial systems to view. With overseas growth across Europe spreading into the Middle East and firm roots already in the East of the USA, the company is becoming a global player in facade supply. Further information is available on the company’s website at aluprof.co.uk or direct from their UK head office in Altrincham on 0161 941 4005.

[briefnewschannel]

Net zero goals cannot fall victim to the energy crisis

Net zero goals cannot fall victim to the energy crisis

Oil & Gas industry updates Sign up to myFT Daily Digest to be the first to know about Oil & Gas industry news. There is never a good time for energy prices to shoot through the roof. But the current spike in the cost of natural gas is particularly inconvenient for leaders of democratic countries trying to build a consensus for decarbonising their economies. A perfect storm of natural gas…

[architectnews]

Dogger Bank Wind Farm O&M Base, Newcastle

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Port of Tyne, England, UK Architecture

Dogger Bank Wind Farm O&M Base

25 Mar 2021

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Building

Design: Ryder Architecture

Location: Port of Tyne, east of Newcastle, North East England, UK

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Unveils Design for Operations and Maintenance Base at the Port of Tyne

25th of March 2021 – The developers of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm have revealed the design for the multi million pound Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Base, that will serve the world’s biggest offshore wind farm.

Subject to planning approval, the base will be constructed in the Port of Tyne. It will serve as the main hub for operating the wind farm which when complete will be capable of powering 6m homes. The design is by Ryder Architecture.

SSE Renewables is leading on construction of the wind farm and Equinor will operate the wind farm for its lifetime of up to 35 years, creating over 200 direct jobs in the north east of England.

Some roles will be based onshore, such as planners, engineers and management, whilst other roles such as wind turbine technicians will be based offshore at the wind farm itself, living for two weeks at a time on a vessel over 130km out to sea. The main recruitment activity is expected from 2022.

Working with international design practice Ryder Architecture, headquartered in Newcastle, Equinor has designed the O&M Base to be built using environmentally friendly materials. EV chargers, solar panels and efficient heating systems have been included to ensure the facility has a low carbon impact.

As well as offices for those based onshore and a warehouse to store spare parts for the wind farm, the design includes development of a new quay suitable for the state of the art Service Operations Vessels (SOVs) that provide accommodation, and transport for technicians to and from the wind farm. The vessels will come to the port approximately twice a month for resupply and crew change.

Halfdan Brustad, vice president for Dogger Bank at Equinor, said: “Dogger Bank is set to have a huge impact in the North East of England. On top of the hundreds of direct jobs the project creates, opportunities from the project will reach many others in the region from industry suppliers to catering companies.

“Over the last month investment for a new manufacturing facility in Teesside has been announced, set to provide the 107m turbine blades to Dogger Bank, and the contract for our three operations vessels has been awarded to a Scottish company, creating further jobs in Scotland and the North East.

“We specifically chose a local firm, Ryder, to work closely with in designing this flagship facility, and have ensured it is both environmentally sustainable and future fit in order to attract the best local talents to join our team. We share the final designs with pride, and can’t wait to get started!”

Francesca Harrison, project architect at Ryder, said, “The design proposals reflect Dogger Bank’s drive for a more sustainable future. They have been designed to achieve net zero carbon and provide one of the best workspaces in the north east helping Dogger Bank to attract the best talent.”

Steve Wilson, project director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said: “This locally designed and sustainable Operation & Maintenance Base will become the heart of Dogger Bank operations, in a region that will also reap the economic benefits of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in its construction phase. It’s another important milestone for our project, but also for a region that is becoming a powerhouse for innovation and decarbonisation.”

Matt Beeton, chief executive officer of the Port of Tyne, said: “The site is well underway at the Port of Tyne with ground and quayside improvements taking place. The Port and the region are excited to see the start of Equinor’s new facility which will not only provide much needed jobs but also start our journey to supporting the biggest offshore wind farm in the world.”

The plans for the O&M facility have been submitted to South Tyneside Council for a planning application. The construction contractor will be appointed in the coming months.

Dogger Bank is being built in three equal phases of 1.2 gigawatts (GW) each. The first two phases, Dogger Bank A and B, are a joint venture between Equinor (40%) SSE Renewables (40%) and Eni (20%). The third phase, Dogger Bank C, is being developed on a different timescale and is owned by Equinor (50%) and SSE Renewables (50%).

About Ryder Architecture

Ryder was established in Newcastle in 1953, and now has a team of over 200 passionate people across the UK, Hong Kong, Vancouver and Amsterdam. We deliver pioneering architectural services across a diverse portfolio of sectors, collaborating globally with Ryder Alliance partners.

Our goal is simple – to improve the quality of the world around us and, in doing so, improve people’s lives.

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About SSE Renewables

SSE Renewables is a leading developer, owner and operator of renewable energy across the UK and Ireland, with a portfolio of around 4GW of onshore wind, offshore wind and hydro. Part of the FTSE listed SSE plc, its strategy is to drive the transition to a net zero future through the world class development, construction and operation of renewable energy assets.

SSE Renewables owns nearly 2GW of operational onshore wind capacity t. Its 1,459MW hydro portfolio includes 300MW of pumped storage and 750MW of flexible hydro. Its operational offshore wind portfolio consists of 487MW across two offshore joint venture sites, Beatrice and Greater Gabbard, both of which it operates on behalf of its asset partners.

SSE Renewables is aiming to treble its renewable energy output by 2030. In addition to Dogger Bank Wind Farm, SSE Renewables is currently leading the construction of the Seagreen 1 offshore wind farm (1,075MW, SSE Renewables share: 49%) and is developing the Berwick Bank and Marr Bank offshore wind farms (up to 4,150MW) in Scotland, North Falls (up to 504MW, SSE Renewables share: 50%) in England, and Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2 (520MW) in Ireland. Onshore it is constructing the Viking wind farm (443MW) in Shetland and Gordonbush Extension (38MW) and has a further 1GW of onshore wind in development.

SSE Renewables is a Principal Partner to the UK Government for COP26 UN climate summit taking place in Glasgow in November 2021.

About Equinor in the UK

Equinor has been operating in the UK for over 35 years. Headquartered in Norway, the company employs 22,000 people globally, and over 650 in the UK. As a broad energy company, Equinor is committed to long term value creation in a low carbon future, and targeting carbon neutral operations globally by 2030.

Equinor is the UK’s leading energy provider and supports the UK economy by investing billions in crucial energy infrastructure, working with over 700 suppliers across the country. Its energy supplies from Norway meet more than one quarter of the UK’s demand for natural gas and around one fifth of its demand for oil, both produced with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry. It operates the Mariner oil field, one of the largest and most digitally advanced offshore investments in the UK over the last decade, and is progressing Rosebank, the largest undeveloped field in the UK. Both projects support hundreds of jobs and economic activity in Scotland.

Equinor also operates two offshore wind farms off the East Coast of England, Dudgeon and Sheringham Shoal. It is developing plans to extend the capacity of both wind farms, doubling its offshore wind production in Norfolk.

Equinor is a pioneer in floating wind technology with Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating wind farm off the coast of Peterhead, which is partnered with Batwind, the world’s first battery for offshore wind. Hywind Scotland has reached record breaking capacity factors, taking the title for the UK’s best performing wind farm three years in a row.

With its partners SSE Renewables, and Eni, Equinor is building the largest offshore wind farm in the world, Dogger Bank, off the North East coast of England. It is also a leader in both carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen, and is developing a number of projects in Europe, including in the Humber and Teesside regions of North East England.

About Eni

Eni is an energy company operating in 66 countries worldwide and employing around 32,000 people. The company operates in oil and gas exploration, development and production, refining and marketing, trading and shipping, chemical, renewable energies and innovative solutions in circular economy. Eni’s mission is inspired by the UN 2030 Agenda and these values are reflected in its business model, itself based on three pillars of long term carbon neutrality, operational excellence and the creation of alliances for local development.

The new Eni is based on efficiency, integration and the deployment of new technologies.

Decarbonisation is structurally embedded in our overall strategy and ambitions and in Sustainalytics’ last update as of September 2020, Eni has achieved an ESG Risk Rating score of 25.7, ranking in the top 3% amongst its peers in the Energy Sector.

Eni has set the next intermediate target for renewables in 2035, when the company will generate 25 GW of installed capacity from renewable sources.

Eni is active in the UK as operator of the Liverpool Bay Area project in NW England, for which it was recently awarded a CO2 appraisal and storage licence by the Oil and Gas Authority.

Eni, together with BP, Equinor, National Grid, Shell and Total, has formed the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), with BP as operator. The partnership aims to develop offshore CO2 transport and storage infrastructure that will serve the two decarbonisation projects of the industrial clusters of NE England: Net Zero Teesside (of Which Eni is partner), and Zero Carbon Humber.

The two projects plan the combined capture and storage of climate-changing emissions from industrial sites and power plants, and the development of market for low emission hydrogen production (blue hydrogen).

UK authority consider this kind of project vital to support the Country’s effort to cut by 50% industrial emissions by 2030, while at the same time providing new jobs for the local communities.

Ryder Architecture

Dogger Bank Wind Farm at Port of Tyne in Newcastle images / information received 250321

Location: Port of TyneNewcastle upon Tyne, North East England, UK

Architecture in Newcastle

Newcastle Architecture

Newcastle Architecture Designs – chronological list

Newcastle Architecture News

Verde Student Accommodation Architects: SimpsonHaugh and Partners photo © Daniel Hopkinson Verde Student Accommodation

Sage Gateshead building for Gateshead Council Design: Foster + Partners Sage Gateshead

Byker Wall Estate Upgrade photo © Adrian Welch Byker Wall Housing

Eskdale Terrace Housing, Jesmond Design: FaulknerBrowns Architects image from architecture office Terrace Housing Jesmond

Newcastle Architecture – Selection

Woodhorn Colliery, Ashington, Northumberland Design: RMJM Architects Woodhorn Colliery

Sixth Form Academy Design: RMJM Architects Newcastle Sixth Form Academy

Dance City Newcastle Design: Malcolm Fraser Architects Dance City Newcastle

Newcastle Architect Offices

Newcastle City Library

Comments / photos for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm Port of Tyne in Newcastle page welcome

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[fknhost]

America's Pledge and Europe's Green Deal: What happened on days 8 & 9 of COP25?

COP25 - the UN's annual two-week-long climate summit - has entered its second week in Madrid. Here, edie rounds up all the key news and views from the last few days of the event.

Images: UNClimateChange Flickr While UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was posing for photos with fish and nicking phones from journalists, other world leaders were still articulating the urgency and need to respond to climate crisis at the COP25 summit in Madrid. Despite climate debates and voter concerns, climate change has taken a backseat to Brexit and the NHS in this week’s General Election, but in Madrid, it is centre stage. COP 25 is well into its second week, and has already captured global media attention following the arrival of teenage activist Greta Thunberg. But as the last few days have proved, organisations are mobilising to deliver action beyond poignant speeches to create frameworks for tangible action. With this in mind, this article rounds up all the key news and views from days four to eight of COP25. You can read about the happenings of day one here, days two and three here, and the first week here. Europe's Green Deal - A man on the moon moment The European Green Deal was formally unveiled at COP25 on Wednesday (11 December), outlining a comprehensive climate and nature package of measures to make Europe climate neutral by 2050. Between 1990 and 2018, the EU reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 23% while growing its economy by 61%, However, the Commission’s own projections suggest that only a 60% emissions reduction can be achieved by 2050 based on current trajectories. Headline targets listed in the Green Deal include a 50-55% emissions reduction target for 2030; a climate law to reach net-zero emissions by 2050; a transition fund worth €100bn and a series of new sector policies to ensure all industries are able to decarbonise. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The European Green Deal is, on the one hand, our vision for a climate-neutral continent in 2050 and it is, on the other hand, a very dedicated roadmap to this goal. It is fifty actions for 2050. “Our goal is to reconcile the economy with our planet, to reconcile the way we produce and the way we consume with our planet and to make it work for our people. Therefore, the European Green Deal is on the one hand about cutting emissions, but on the other hand it is about creating jobs and boosting innovation.”

Read edie's full coverage here. Bloomberg steps in to deliver America’s climate pledge Donald Trump’s proclamation that the US would withdraw from the Paris Agreement was originally viewed as a massive dent in the global effort to combat climate change. Since his announcement, which technically wouldn’t become official unless he is re-elected next year, states and cities in the US have stepped up to fill the void. Former New York City Mayor and co-chair of America’s Pledge Michael R. Bloomberg took to COP this week to deliver the latest America’s Pledge report to the international climate community. Bloomberg launched America’s Pledge initiative in June 2017, which has since released annual reports with the aim of tracking the climate progress of nearly 4,000 cities, states, and businesses who are committed to the Paris goals. Bloomberg was joined by a coalition of international climate experts, including UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, and UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance Mark Carney, to discuss the report. The report found that nearly 70% of the nation’s GDP is committed to reducing emissions to help push the country towards the Paris Agreement targets, without the help of Trump. Paris Agreement off-track Despite Bloomberg’s efforts to bridge the gap left by a lack of US leadership, the Climate Action Tracker’s 2019 annual update has suggested that if every nation met their Paris Agreement pledge, it would still lead to warming of 2.8C by the end of the century. That is very much viewed as a best-case scenario, as the report revealed that current policies in place across the globe look set to increase global temperature rise by more than 3C. All governments have agreed, as part of the original commitments, to revisit ambitions in 2020, but the report has found that Chile is the only nation to submit a new draft proposal to date. More worryingly, coal is still a major factor for most government planning strategies for energy. Asia, in particular, is planning to roll out new coal capacity in countries such as China, Japan and South Korea. “We are not seeing the kind of action you’d expect from governments facing a climate emergency,” said Prof Niklas Höhne, of CAT partner organisation NewClimate Institute. “Since last year’s update, our temperature estimate has not improved from climate action, and many governments are still failing to meet their often insufficient targets.” Echoing the findings of the Climate Action Tracker is a report from Boston Consulting Group and the World Economic Forum, which shows the lack of progress on global climate action. The report found that 67 of the UN’s 195 member nations—accounting for less than 15% of emissions—have a net-zero emissions ambition in place – although other think tanks claim that up to 40% of global GDP is covered by nations actively discussing net-zero legislation. Of these countries, only 16 have developed roadmaps and intermediate targets, and just seven have developed support frameworks for the goals. At a business level, the report claims that of the 7,000 corporations worldwide that actually report to CDP, only one in eight disclose their emissions fully and have a public target in place and are actively reducing year-on-year emissions. “In the current context, corporations have a major role to play to fight against climate change,” said Michel Fredeau, BCG managing director and senior partner and head of the firm’s Climate and Environment impact area. “Given the difficulties to reach a global consensus, corporations need to accelerate their action to transform their business models to become compatible with a 1.5° world, taking the lead to align their ecosystems and their investors.” GFI’s green homes upgrade In July, the UK Government finally unveiled its Green Finance Strategy (GFS), outlining how the finance sector and better climate disclosure from corporates can drive progress towards wider action on climate change and the push towards net-zero emissions. The Green Finance Institute (GFI) was then set up to steer the strategy. At COP this week, the GFI announced the launch of its Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings. The coalition was created due to the fact that retrofitting and zero-carbon new-builds have not been adopted at scale in the UK across its 29 million homes.  Finance and property experts will now convene under the coalition to unlock capital to address the barriers to retrofitting of residential buildings, including for individual owner-occupiers, institutional and buy-to-rent investors, and social housing providers. Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE, chief executive Green Finance Institute, said: “Financial markets need to play a leading role to meet the needs of our society, and to mobilise capital to address the climate emergency. The Green Finance Institute’s role is to convene innovators, sector specialists and policymakers to harness their creativity to identify and overcome the barriers to the deployment of green funding. “The Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings brings together a breadth of experience behind a clear goal: to accelerate capital flows towards retrofitting and developing UK homes to net-zero carbon, resilient standards through the development of real-world finance solutions that appeal to home-owners, landlords and investors.” The new @GFI_Green Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings will establish the market for financing #netzero carbon, resilient buildings by accelerating the pace of financial innovation and scale-up. Read more: https://t.co/LHhEbG7MP3 pic.twitter.com/6lYvTq0Q2E — Green Finance Institute (@GFI_green) December 11, 2019 Drax shoots for carbon-negative status UK energy company Drax will announce ambitions to become carbon negative by 2030 at the UN's COP25. The move will see the firm use bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology to remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that it produces – creating a negative carbon footprint. CEO Will Gardiner, who will be making the announcement at COP25, made it clear that it was “only achievable” with an “effective negative emissions policy and investment framework” from the UK Government.  The firm is currently running a successful BECCS pilot at its power station, capturing a tonne of carbon dioxide every day. The CCS array, which is being used in partnership with C-Capture, first began capturing carbon in February.  Read the full story here. Drax is the first company in the world to announce an ambition to be carbon negative by 2030 and we are confident we can achieve it - pioneering new technology is what we do best. #carbonnegative #COP25 Find out more ➡️ https://t.co/pwIkO2jTfF pic.twitter.com/nWl6bFwcip — Drax (@Draxnews) December 10, 2019 The Business case for natural climate solutions Reforestation has risen up the corporate agenda in recent months, as companies turn to ways to help reach net-zero targets and ambitions. While offset discussions remain controversial, the world is waking up to the role that forest restoration can have. Trees act as a low-cost, effective, and scalable approach to mitigating the impacts of a changing climate while land restoration and regeneration was also a key talking point at COP. Mars’ senior manager, climate and land appeared on panel discussions on Monday (9 December) to discuss how the private sector can make a business case to invest in forest restoration. Here, Allen summarises the key findings of that event exclusively for edie. “Nature-based solutions play a fundamental role in solving climate change. Working closely with suppliers and farmers to stop deforestation and restore land is central to Mars’ climate strategy – and a critical step in our efforts to cut our carbon emissions across our value chain. It is imperative that all businesses make land a key part of their climate ambition,” Allen said. “The world’s forests are vital to maintaining a healthy ecosystem, serving as important carbon sinks as well as providing many environmental benefits to communities around the world. Mars is working with farmers to ensure that the ingredients used in our products are grown responsibly, and reduce pressure on forests. We can’t do it alone, governments and the development community also play a critical role in protecting and restoring forests outside of farm boundaries.” #COP25 is heating up! You can feel the buzz in the halls - the Ministers have arrived. ⁦@MarsGlobal⁩ #WeAreStillIn pic.twitter.com/rymVCbnMPO — Ashley Allen (@AshAllen350) December 10, 2019 Corporates commit to 1.5C science-based targets Finishing on a piece of monumental news, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has representatives at COP25 and revealed that the number of companies planning to reduce emissions in line with the highest ambition has more than double in just a quarter of a year. The SBTi revealed at COP that 177 corporates have promised to set science-based targets aligned to the 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement. The companies represent almost six million employees across 36 countries. "We are quickly nearing our last opportunity to be on the right side of history," said Lise Kingo, CEO and executive director of the UN Global Compact, one of the SBTi partners. "The climate emergency is already disrupting people, business operations, economies and ecosystems around the world. As countries prepare to enhance their national climate action plans next year, business leaders have a critical role to play in challenging governments to urgently match their climate ambitions. We need all businesses to be activists for our only future." UPDATE: Since publication, it has been revealed that 500 companies are publicly committing today to accelerate the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions to reach the 1.5C trajectory and transition to net-zero by 2030. These companies, including well-known brands like Patagonia, The Body Shop, Allbirds, Davines, The Guardian, Aguas Danone Spain, Intrepid Travel, Ecoalf, and many others, are part of the global community of Certified B Corporations. The B Corp movement is convening to get all of its members to commit to net-zero by 2030. Matt Mace Read the full article

[uk-news-talking-politics]

Tackling the climate crisis: The questions politicians must answer

By Jonathan Bartley

As awareness of the ecological and climate crises we face grows, political parties are increasingly trying to highlight their green credentials. But we need to hold them to a high standard, to see how serious they really are about tackling the emergency. These are the questions we need to ask them.

Will you end fossil fuel subsidies?

In an economy that has been built on the dominance of oil, fossil fuel subsidies are the viruses that infect every area and stunt the urgent transition we desperately need.

The UK spends £10.5 billion a year supporting fossil fuels - more than any other country in the European Union. But while parties talk a good game about investing in renewable energy, they don't tend to embrace the need to simultaneously end our unhealthy addiction to dirty energy. They support new coal mines and continue to subsidise energy which pumps lethal carbon into the atmosphere - sometimes even wearing it as a badge of honour.

Ending these massive subsidies would provide the additional investment we desperately need for the green energy revolution. But perhaps more importantly only by removing these subsidies can we actually transition the economy in the way that is needed - for example by ending the tax exemption on aviation fuel to stem the growth in destructive flights, as well as ensuring that fossil fuels are kept in the ground. It is only by ending the subsidies that we can also make the transition in the timescale that is required to meet what is now acknowledged as a climate emergency.

Any party that is serious about tackling the climate chaos must put ending these subsidies as the top priority.

Will you stop airport expansion?

It is no good opposing Heathrow expansion if you are then going to support expansion of Gatwick instead, or for that matter Manchester, Bristol or any other airport. Seventy per cent of flights are taken by just 15% of people. What we need instead of expansion is the political will to introduce a Frequent Flier Levy that tackles the insatiable aviation demand of the super-rich.

The current government believes that it can get away with expanding airports, because it has continually refused to include emissions from international aviation in its plans to reduce carbon. That must change.  And we must be realistic about the carbon for which we are responsible.  Expanding airports isn't something that happens in isolation to the rest of the world.  It has the potential to trigger an aviation arms race, with other countries competing to expand their airports too. To show global leadership, we must lead by example.

Will you stop road building?

Of course every time you expand an airport, a whole load of extra roads tend to come with it - as we are seeing with destructive plans for Heathrow.  But we must halt the road building programme completely - whether that be the expansion of motorways or the mayor of London's Silvertown Tunnel.

More roads lead directly to more pollution and worsening air quality. As we announced on the eve of our conference in Newport, we would allocate proceeds of the Vehicle Exercise Duty (VED) that are currently earmarked for roads (£6.5 billion a year) towards free bus travel. In this way we would strengthen a key principle of a Green New Deal: the idea that to decarbonise our economy, green public transport must be incentivised and radically expanded. This in turn will reduce the number of vehicles on our roads and help reduce the air pollution, the silent killer of 40,000 Britons a year.

At present other parties believe they can address the carbon and pollution crisis by simply replacing gas guzzlers with electric vehicles.  The truth is that we need to think completely differently about how we move around.

Manufacturing a battery powered electric passenger car alone emits between 6 and 16 tonnes of C02. And electric vehicles may emit no CO2 but they produce small particle pollution from brake discs and tyres and by throwing up dust from roads. A 2017 European Commission research paper found that about half of all particulate matter comes from these sources.

Privately owned cars are in use for just four per cent of the time. They spend the other 96% of their time parked. They are a huge waste of resource at a time when we must do more with less.

Whether it's car clubs, or a public transport revolution, we must think in new ways about transport for the future.

Will you knock HS2 on the head?

No party that is serious about tackling global heating can support HS2. This act of environmental vandalism would threaten the water supply, divert rivers, concrete over vast areas of countryside and destroy biodiversity - including over 60 ancient woodlands and all at a time where there is a growing recognition of the fundamental links between the ecological and climate crises.  The head of HS2 himself has admitted it would not be carbon neutral for over 120 years. We need to be carbon neutral in just ten.

If we are going to have the local transport revolution that will give people the option to get out of their cars for the school run, the shopping trip and the commute, we need to scrap HS2 and invest the money in other infrastructure. That's how we fund it.

The cost of HS2 is eye watering. It is now on course to hit £88bn. The tens of billions would be far better spent in electrifying existing railways, putting in new lines, and updating our aged rail infrastructure right around the country - as well as putting in new bus routes and services to serve every community, however remote.

This transport revolution is particularly vital if we are to get the benefits of a renewable-energy driven 'blue new deal' for coastal communities.  Simply expanding offshore renewables will not on its own bring the transformation that we need without the transport infrastructure to go with it.

Will you end nuclear weapons and nuclear power?

The New Economics Foundation estimates that we could generate over six times our annual electricity needs from offshore renewables. And with the advent of tidal power and new storage technology, as the former head of the national grid has said, the old, tired argument about needing big power stations should be consigned to the past.

It is anachronistic to still speak of a role for nuclear power. Continuing to invest in the white elephant of Hinkley Point C and similar projects means not realising the possibilities that renewable energy are offering us. It means adopting 20th Century solutions to 21st Century problems.

It's also far more expensive. Wind power is already now less than half the cost of the terrible deal that we are being locked into with nuclear power at Hinkley C - which is still years away from completion. Coupled with the security risks, the length of time it takes to build new nuclear, and the environmental costs of mining uranium to fuel it, it is hard to see any argument for continuing with this outdated approach.  Indeed, it seems the only reason the big parties are wedded to it is because it provides a subsidy through our energy bills for renewing the nuclear weapons that these same parties are also committed to.

The measures above would save hundreds of billions over the next ten years - money which can be ploughed into the real transformation that we urgently need to see.

And these are only some of the questions that every party that is serious about tackling climate chaos must answer. Alongside them, is the urgent need to tackle the ecological crisis and put in place all those policies needed to reverse the decline in nature biodiversity.  We need transformation of agriculture to return it to its pre factory-farming state, mass rewilding and reforestation. The incentives to move away from meat-based diets.  We need a fossil free politics, where oil companies and airport expanders aren't trying to buy influence.

We need reform of the tax system so we embrace repair and reuse, and penalise planned obsolescence. An economy based on limitless growth has created a vicious cycle of production and consumption – with more and more being created for the sake of it, destined not to bring lasting enjoyment or use but to be ploughed into landfill and thrown into our oceans.

A Green New Deal isn't just about a massive investment in renewable energy, it is about recognising that every sector of the economy needs to change, as well as the way we live and the way we work.  There can be no more business as usual.  And that means that new choices must be made.

We cannot go on with the same thinking that has brought us to the brink of catastrophe.  The situation is urgent and as the IPCC has made clear, we have just ten years to complete the transformation that needs to take place. This is no time for gimmicks. We must act boldly and radically. The time is now.

[dailyhealthynews]

How COVID is inspiring healthy, efficient buildings

I had a lingering pandemic fear that I didn’t expect when the world reopened: I don’t like being with people indoors, especially if they have a runny nose or cough.

As more workers return to companies and offices, I know I am not the only one. Employers spend billions updating the work environment to convey to employees that they take health measures seriously.

Indoor air quality and sustainability measures seem to contradict one another. The first listens to the perpetual hum of HVACs; the second, passive houses. However, as companies prioritize both climate goals and health concerns, it is clear that the two goals can be compatible. Now is the perfect time to take a fresh look at commercial space to make buildings smarter, healthier and more comfortable.

Drive fully electric

It turns out that gas inflation in your home affects indoor air quality. Studies by UCLA and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have found that most households that cook on gas in California have unsafe levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide pollutants. A meta-analysis of the effects of nitrogen dioxide found a 42 percent increased risk of asthma in children, writes the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

We have written extensively about the need to get natural gas out of buildings, as gas makes up 10 percent of all US CO2 emissions. However, the health benefits of fully electric buildings are becoming increasingly important.

In the past few months, major news outlets have recognized the magnitude of the health hazard posed by stoves. Coverage includes The Atlantic, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, plus a section on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. The headlines get it right to the point: “Here’s Why Your Gas Stove Is Killing You” and “Read this article on how we were made to cook on gas.”

Hobs and ovens aren’t the only culprits. Water heaters, dryers, and space heaters can leak or poorly ventilated, sending 20,000 Americans to the emergency room, and killing more than 400 each year. Because of this, 38 states require homes to have carbon monoxide detectors.

The good news is that there is a strong business case to go all-electric. A new report from ULI shows that a purely electrical switch offers significant savings both during development and operation. Of course, this varies depending on the type of construction and climate zone, but many advantages of electrification apply to commercial properties.

Go ahead of the wildfire smoke

If you live in the American West, you probably know the newest, shitty time of the year: the smoking season.

When forest fires break out, smoke containing particulate matter can accumulate for weeks, which can affect respiratory and cardiovascular health. If things get bad, health officials recommend staying indoors and it’s the worst.

In my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, the weather is temperate, so the buildings are leaking and air conditioning usually means opening a window. As the smoke swirls around, the inside becomes hot and sticky, and it takes its toll – physically and mentally. Building upgrades require smoke-free plans.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends steps like evaluating your HVAC system and weathering, and purchasing portable air purifiers and additional filters. This type of audit can involve energy efficiency upgrades and replacing gas stoves with all-electric appliances. While you’re at it, get a rooftop solar panel with battery backup to keep the lights on during scheduled power cuts.

There are two benefits to doing this: keeping you (and your office) healthy during the smoking season, and minimizing your contribution to the climate change emissions that fuel forest fires.

Tools to support healthy offices

During the pandemic, the demand for healthy building services soared, resulting in new and old services targeting the healthy building market alike.

This week a new consortium started to improve both indoor air quality (IAQ) efficiently: Alliance for Sustainable & Practical IAQ in Real Estate (ASPIRE). The aim of the group is to bring data and analysis together to provide commercial property managers with information to monitor and optimize the IAQ while reducing energy and emissions.

Aircuity, a software company focused on health and sustainability, this week launched a new product that combines energy and air quality monitoring. The Airside program is an energy dashboard to inform building owners of inefficiencies across the portfolio.

The International WELL Building Institute’s health and safety certification, which certifies that a building has met certain health promoting measures, averaged a million square feet of newly enrolled projects daily during the pandemic (which explains how the company secured a star-studded cast) . for his advertising campaign.)

When employees go back to the office, more tools and technologies are sure to emerge.

Our shared increased awareness of safety and health and the need to decarbonise buildings could usher in a long-term trend towards investing in buildings of the future. And it’s not a moment too early.

[ Want more great analysis of the clean energy transition? Sign up for Energy Weekly, our free email newsletter.]

source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/how-covid-is-inspiring-healthy-efficient-buildings/

[mhsn033]

Infrastructure: More local input needed in big projects, say MPs

Picture copyright Reuters

Powerful more local input is wished if the UK’s largest infrastructure projects are to bring their desired socio-economic advantages, MPs gain talked about.

Too on the entire consultation with affected communities took role after predominant choices had already been taken, the Public Administration Committee talked about.

It known as for feedback to be taken into legend ahead of funding is given and better recordsdata on how success is measured.

The government talked about it became dedicated to working with local of us.

In a speech final month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson residing out plans to skedaddle up £5bn price of planned spending on transport, broadband, hospitals, college and varied areas per the commercial damage wrought by coronavirus.

This comes on prime of £640bn in planned infrastructure spending over the following 5 years promised in March’s Finances as half of the govt.’s “levelling-up” agenda.

But in a unique report, the negative-occasion committee talked about the aims leisurely the govt.’s plans remained “ill-outlined” and an updated Nationwide Infrastructure Technique gain to be published “ahead of a penny is spent on unique projects”.

It warned that billions risked being “squandered” unless likely projects had been better co-ordinated, there became better transparency over their offer and clearer benchmarks for his or her economic and social price.

Its suggestions encompass:

Initiatives gain to be preceded by detailed assessments of regional and local desires

Funding ought to nonetheless easiest be popular if findings of local consultations are authorized

Records old to evaluate performance gain to be worthy clearer and publicly within the market

Project managers may perhaps well perhaps additionally be paid more to recruit of us with proper talents

Its chair, the Conservative MP William Wragg, talked about ministers had to manufacture sure that some post-Covid projects would bring decrease financial returns than historically deemed acceptable – but they had been nonetheless justified by their wider social impact, in particular in areas that had seen decrease levels of spending in present decades.

‘Conclude in itself’

He talked about the Treasury’s criteria for assessing the merits of individual projects gain to be revised to manufacture sure schemes within the North of England and in rural areas – the build charges of boost had been historically slower – must no longer neglected.

“As the nation embarks on a length of mighty infrastructure spending we must in any respect times level of interest on how worthy they bring the advantages they residing out to total and had been the belief that for being given the skedaddle ahead,” he talked about.

“Rising large infrastructure projects must no longer change into an lead to itself.

Picture copyright PA Media

“We must pass a ways from the rapid-time length detect that measures the price of predominant projects in phrases of whether or not they are executed on time and at the expected price.”

Earlier this year , the govt. within the raze gave the skedaddle-ahead for the enchancment of the HS2 rail line, attributable to connect London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, after years of delays and amid concerted opposition from of us living alongside the proposed route and environmental campaigners.

Diverse schemes within the govt.’s £450bn Most essential Initiatives Portfolio, equivalent to Crossrail, gain additionally suffered predominant delays and price over-runs while the strategy ahead for a unique runway at Heathrow Airport is in doubt.

The report warned in opposition to a “scatter-gun” components to the series of future projects and a re-deem over tips on how to decide on with local communities.

It talked about “too on the entire local consultation begins after elementary choices gain already been made, ensuing in challenge delays and infrastructure that neither meets local need nor has plump public support”.

Local support

Mr Wragg talked about the govt. must be taught the teachings of past errors and fabricate sure early and predominant consultation at a neighborhood level.

“It goes to be predominant no longer factual to net local support for infrastructure projects, but getting local input in figuring out complications and organising alternate choices gain to be better supported,” he talked about.

A Cabinet Establish apart of enterprise spokesperson talked about: “The government is handing over a intrepid and ambitious portfolio of predominant projects, to reduction economic boost, decarbonise the economic system and underpin the provision of our public services and products.

“We are dedicated to working with local of us, partners and all over sectors to guarantee every body UK electorate net pleasure from the provision of infrastructure and predominant projects.”

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[vsplusonline]

Coronavirus: Governments’ recovery plans should take ‘green route,’ study says

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/coronavirus-governments-recovery-plans-should-take-green-route-study-says/

Coronavirus: Governments’ recovery plans should take ‘green route,’ study says

The most cost-effective way for governments to jumpstart their pandemic-battered economies would be to invest in “green” stimulus policies that also serve to achieve long-term climate change goals, according to a new study published Tuesday by economists in the U.S. and the U.K.

For Canada, whose government has made a number of climate-friendly promises and set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, one expert says the COVID-19 recovery will provide a chance for decision-makers to “pivot” to meet long-term environmental goals.

“It’s a wake-up call that as governments invest in the economic recovery, they need to be thinking about the level of systemic change that we’re aiming for it,” said Kathryn Harrison, professor of political science at the University of British Columbia, who has read the report by authors Cameron Hepburn, Brian O’Callaghan, Nicholas Stern, Joseph Stiglitz and Dimitri Zenghelis.

1:26 Coronavirus outbreak: Trudeau says COVID-19 can’t cause us to forget climate change, the ‘other’ global crisis

Coronavirus outbreak: Trudeau says COVID-19 can’t cause us to forget climate change, the ‘other’ global crisis

For the study, the authors examined more than 700 economic stimulus policies launched during or since the 2008 financial crisis by G20 nations and surveyed 231 experts from 53 countries, including economists and officials from finance ministries and central banks.

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The study, set to be published in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy, focused on the reduction of greenhouse gas emission (GHG) as “the key environmentally beneficial criteria.” Hepburn, the report’s lead author, warned that the GHG reductions triggered by the novel coronavirus pandemic “could be short-lived.”

The study points out that preliminary estimates show emissions might fall about eight per cent, globally, this year. While that’s on track to be the largest drop in a single year on record, experts interpret the estimates differently.

Harrison said the anticipated drop in GHG emissions this year would have to continue every year forward to meet the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to 1.5 C — something Canada should take note of as “one of the countries that needs to make the biggest change.”

READ MORE: ‘Catastrophic’ — Canada set to miss 2030 emissions target by 15%, UN report says

“It’s a bit of a cautionary tale because if you think of it, this scale of change in our lives that we’ve experienced is huge, and yet greenhouse gas emissions haven’t fallen that dramatically,” she said, noting she believes emissions remain high because most are from “systemic things,” such heating homes, powering the industrial sector and transporting of goods.

[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]

The federal Liberals made an election promise last fall to get Canada to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and vowed to introduce “legally binding” targets to get them there. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has delayed the release of its 2020 budget, which the federal finance minister had already said would prioritize climate change.

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In the study, the authors argued that the COVID-19 crisis “could mark a turning point in progress on climate change” and warned that progress “will depend significantly on policy choices in the coming six months.”

Experts didn’t express that same “do-or-die” urgency, but Harrison noted that the post-pandemic recovery period offers a “unique opportunity” for Canada to pivot to from “business as usual.”

4:19 The positive environmental impact of COVID-19

The positive environmental impact of COVID-19

Dave Sawyer, chief economist at the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices, cautioned that the six-month timeline might not be a realistic benchmark for cash-crunched governments.

“These are big, expensive investments that take time and that zero is a long term goal,” said Sawyer, whose organization has received federal funding but “retains full control” over its work.

“Yes, we can use this as an opportunity to reposition ourselves,” he said. “Are we going to fix the problem in the next six months? [Do] governments have the resources to do that, especially when they’re subsidizing people to get them through the problem?”

Study recommends five policy investments

During the public health crisis so far, governments, including Canada’s, have been laser-focused on getting massive amounts of emergency financial aid flowing to support struggling workers and businesses. But soon, officials will move from these “rescue” plans to “recovery packages” that will “reshape the economy for the longer-term,” the authors said.

For when governments are at that stage, the study recommended they take a “green route” and invest in five policy items that, reportedly above all others, offer both “high” economic returns and a “positive” climate impact.

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The policy items outlined include: physical infrastructure for clean energy production, including such solar or wind; retrofits to improve building efficiency; projects to restore or preserve ecosystems; research into clean technologies; and education and training to address pandemic-related unemployment and “structural unemployment from decarbonisation.”

0:28 Nitrogen dioxide emissions levels drop across China

Nitrogen dioxide emissions levels drop across China

When compared to traditional fiscal relief measures, the authors found these projects “create more jobs, deliver higher short-term returns per dollar spend and lead to increased long-term cost savings, by comparison with traditional fiscal stimulus.”

Harrison described these recommendations as all the more “striking,” given who they came from.

“The folks that they were surveying were not environmentalists and even environmental economists. They were surveying government finance economists and central bank officials,” she said

“[The authors] did the study in a way that respondents could say, ‘This is fast and it will have great economic benefits, but is bad for the climate.’ What’s striking is that [the respondents] didn’t.”

“The projects that they saw as having economic multiplier effects also had climate benefits and were rated overall more favourable.”

READ MORE: Investing in climate goals could play key role in coronavirus economic recovery

In Canada, the federal government has already signalled that climate and clean energy investments could factor into its recovery plans.

Struggling economies will need programs that can be implemented “quickly” and that have “large multiplier effects” — meaning the initial government spending will “foster further spending in the economy,” said Jean-Thomas Bedard, who teaches economics at the University of Ottawa.

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Bernard cited the government’s recently announced $1.7-billion initiative to clean up orphan wells in the western provinces to keep people working during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of a program that can be rolled out relatively fast. Canada also already has experience with building retrofit programs, he added.

1:46 Funding to clean up Saskatchewan’s orphan wells a ‘positive first-step’ says Premier Moe

Funding to clean up Saskatchewan’s orphan wells a ‘positive first-step’ says Premier Moe

Moving forward, Sawyer said he expects to see Ottawa explore “interesting ways” to support or “scale up” ongoing initiatives, referencing the Trudeau government’ loan program to help oil and gas companies meet new federal standards that require a reduction in methane emissions, announced alongside the orphan wells program.

Challenges ahead

But how governments go about designing those policies is “important” and the uncertainty around the pandemic’s timeline poses a challenge.

The study’s authors argued that recovery policies should have “flexibility” given “it is unclear how long the pandemic will last and whether there will be second or third waves.”

“Poorly designed recovery policy is likely to be ineffective in delivering economic, climate, and social outcomes, regardless of theoretical potential,” the report said.

READ MORE: Trudeau pledges $252M for agriculture industry hard-hit by COVID-19

Pressures from struggling businesses and sectors in Canada will be added considerations for the government during the recovery period, Harrison said.

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1:48 Alberta energy companies losing billions in downturn

Alberta energy companies losing billions in downturn

Sawyer cautioned that taking a “green lens” on every aspect of Canada’s recovery package may not be the best approach for all struggling sectors.

“We purposely put certain bits of the economy into a coma. And is the infrastructure technology spending the solution to get those to help those sectors out? Maybe not entirely,” he said.

“You’ve got to look at what the problem is and then figure out where you’re spending is.”

— With files from Amanda Connolly and Mike De Souza

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© 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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[csrgood]

CLP Steps Up Decarbonisation Efforts for Climate Vision 2050

Building a Utility of the Future: 2019 Sustainability Report

To accelerate efforts to address climate change, the CLP Group has strengthened its decarbonisation actions to fulfil its Climate Vision 2050 and made climate-related disclosures more transparent in its latest Sustainability Report.

In the 2019 Report, CLP has highlighted commitments to phase out its coal-based assets by 2050 at the latest, and not to invest in any additional coal-fired generation assets, under the updated Climate Vision 2050.

CLP also stays on course to achieve its 2020 carbon intensity target of 0.60kg CO2/kWh, from 0.62kg CO2/kWh in 2019, while the proportions of renewable and non-carbon emitting energy of the generation portfolio increased to 13.7% and 24.9%, respectively.

To help enhance transparency, CLP advanced its disclosure in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures so that stakeholders can better understand how CLP manages climate-related risks and opportunities. Climate scenario analysis was also initiated to assess the ongoing impact of climate change on the business.

CLP also continued to enhance reporting of its greenhouse gas profile along the value chain. For the first time, CLP started to report all of its scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions on an equity basis in 2019 according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to provide a more comprehensive overview of its carbon footprint.

Learn more about CLP's performance and outlook:

2019 Sustainability Report

2019 Sustainability Review

2019 Annual Report 

A Snapshot of 2019 Annual Report

Stakeholder who send feedback to CLP on its reports on or before 30 June 2020 will receive four CLP Carbon Credits. Share your views on the Sustainability Report here.

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/44489-CLP-Steps-Up-Decarbonisation-Efforts-for-Climate-Vision-2050?tracking_source=rss

[energeticaindia]

Latest Renewable Energy News update & Conventional | Energetica India Magazine

Envision Digital Continues its Mission Towards Net Zero With the Port of Antwerp to Pioneer a Green Port

Envision Digital International Pte Ltd ("Envision Digital"), a global Net Zero partner and Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) technology leader, announced a collaboration with the Port of Antwerp by its local European entities in Netherlands and France, to develop green port solutions to reduce amongst others, greenhouse gases (GHG) in ports. The collaboration named: 'Portable Innovation Open Network for Efficiency and Emissions Reduction Solutions (PIONEERS)' represents leading ports, terminal and transport operators, forwarders, knowledge institutes, technology developers, innovators, and public entities. PIONEERS is a highly ambitious project, rethinking all aspects of port operations ranging from terminal operations, concession agreements, mobility, connectivity, fuels to models for cooperation and production, storage and use of energy. The actions include renewable energy generation and deployment of electric, hydrogen and methanol vehicles; building and heating networks retrofit for energy efficiency; implementation of circular economy approaches in infrastructure works; automation; and deployment of digital platforms to promote modal shift and ensure optimised vehicle, vessel and container movements. Port of Antwerp will function as lighthouse port, hosting the majority of demonstrators and showcasing a real-life Green Port. The project will receive a €25 million grant from the European Horizon 2020 programme and has a timeframe of five years starting at the end of 2021. The ports of Barcelona, Constanta and the municipality of Venlo, as fellows, will play an active role in maximising the transferability of the solutions and are engaged to implement the best practices from the project. This collaboration will leverage Envision Digital's EnOS™ AIoT technology to build a Port Digital Twin, modelling, simulating, optimising, and monitoring port activities, including logistics, maintenance, traffic and energy consumption. Harnessing both AI and IoT, the Digital Twin will integrate with other PORTable innovations at the Port of Antwerp, and focus on CO2 emissions, portal logistic multimodal asset flows and portal people flow. In addition, Envision Digital will implement a complete intelligent Energy Management System (iEMS) with monitoring and optimisation for the Europort terminal in the port. The AIoT software will optimise and control smart charging of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in connection with local grid metering and installed wind turbines, in order to optimise EV-charging, maximise green energy self-consumption and decarbonisation. Envision Digital's AI-based forecasting capabilities will also be leveraged to anticipate electricity demand and supply, as input into the overall electric system optimisation. "Envision Digital is thrilled to support ambitious multi-dimensional optimisation of the port activities to drive better performance while reducing emissions," said Sylvie Ouziel, International President, Envision Digital. "Net Zero ports and Net Zero industry parks clearly constitute the 'next frontiers' for decarbonisation, and we are quite excited to be pioneering and partnering, in those spaces, together with prominent consortium members."

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