We help build better cities through knowledge, networks and leadership
Guest blog post from Sarah Birt on how cities will deliver on their climate emergency declarations through achieving zero carbon developments. New housing developments, in particular, are under pressure to balance ‘net zero’ with affordability and project viability, which is easier said than done.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of climate emergency. Future of London’s Achieving Net Zero report sets out the active role we can all play and provides practical recommendations to respond to climate change.
FoL’s report celebrates London’s sustainability milestones but examines what more the built environment sector, as a contributor of 40% of the UK’s carbon footprint, needs to do to support built environment sector change and encourage community participation in achieving net zero in the wake of Brexit and Covid-19.
Through extensive energy efficiency measures, and by repurposing and reusing a significant part of the existing building, the BT Building in the City of London aims to be one of London’s first net zero carbon buildings.
Following Surrey County Council’s climate emergency declaration in July 2019, Arup’s Esme Stallard was seconded to the council to develop and deliver their Climate Change Strategy. What does it take to design and deliver a climate change strategy – and what can other councils learn from Surrey?
As part of London Climate Action Week, on Wednesday 18 November, Future of London looked beyond net zero. We discussed the roles of green infrastructure and regenerative architecture, the importance of tackling both health inequalities and environmental inequalities, and how we can better involve local communities and better collaborate across sectors.
In the second webinar of our Achieving Net Zero Digital Conference Week, we reflected on how the public and private sectors can work together to fund the transition to a zero carbon built environment sector, and how we can make sure that the benefits and burdens of funding net zero are spread equally amongst all communities?
In the first webinar of our Achieving Net Zero Digital Conference Week, we explored what the public and private sectors can do to embed holistic Net Zero thinking and drive behaviour change. This is a summary of some of the key themes and practical examples that emerged from our panel discussions and audience Q&A.
FoL’s Knowledge & Events Intern Kana Nomoto explains how carbon calculation tool SCATTER is helping cities assess, report and reduce their carbon emissions.
On 8 September Future of London ran its second Video Visit + Discussion on the theme of decarbonising energy. Via video, we ‘visited’ Bunhill 2 Energy Centre in LB Islington. We then discussed the project, and how the borough’s energy strategy is evolving.
LB Waltham Forest’s Zero Emissions Delivery (ZED) scheme not only makes local deliveries more efficient but also keeps the streets healthy. Kana Nomoto explains why ZED is a perfect example of how to implement net-zero initiatives at a local scale for long-term change.
On 14 July Future of London ran its first Video visit + discussion on the theme of Net Zero Housing. We ‘visited’ (via video) New Garden Quarter in LB Newham and discussed the scheme, and the wider issue of building zero carbon homes.