Ewan Paterson is an Energy Assessor, Section 63 Advisor and Chartered Surveyor at Metro Commercial.
Lendlease Europe has recently set out a bold plan to achieve zero carbon emissions from the fuel we burn by 2025 and absolute zero-carbon without using offsets by 2040. Here we will look at how the company intends to achieve these targets and examine some of their key milestones.
Replacing natural gas by hydrogen for heating domestic residential and commercial buildings would have a massive impact on greenhouse gas emissions and reducing global warming. There is, of course, the important caveat that the hydrogen manufacture must be powered by renewable resources. There is no fundamental reason why this cannot be achieved, but there are significant challenges in doing so.
If we could replace our standard central heating systems with a carbon-free solution, we would have the potential to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by as much as a third. Source: OFGEM. This would go a long way towards meeting the UK and Scottish governments net-zero targets. One solution is to replace natural gas-fired boilers with hydrogen fired boilers and produce the hydrogen using renewable resources.
"When a weather-controlling satellite system suddenly breaks down, a scientist must race against the clock to prevent a climate cataclysm on Earth." Geostorm - Currently on Netflix
You may be confused but this is not a film review! During the recent lockdown some may have watched the film Geostorm on Netflix. Essentially the film is an action and adventure sci-fi fantasy film loosely based on geoengineering. The idea being that if the climate of the planet gets out of control we can fix it through large scale intervention of the earths climate system by using satellites. It got me interested in the science behind geoengineering and large scale climate intervention and whether this might be an easier option than reducing CO2 emissions the energy efficiency route.
The skies are bluer, there are virtually no con-trails creating cloud cover, and the air smells so much cleaner. It's just like the olden days that our grandparents would wax nostalgically about. Doubtless, the shutdown has improved air quality in our cities, and the effect is global. But is it just a blip or will it have a long term impact on health and climate change?
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The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015
These Regulations introduce measures to improve the energy efficiency of certain private rented property in England and Wales.
It provides that, the landlord of a non-domestic private rented property must not grant a new tenancy of the property after 1st April 2018, and must not continue to let the property after 1st April 2023, where the energy performance of the property is below the minimum level.). It prescribes a minimum level of energy efficiency for private rented properties: that is, is an energy performance indicator (evidenced on the energy performance certificate for the property) of band E.
This legislation is triggered by new leases and lease renewals although not sales.
Summary The Scottish Government aims to reduce CO2 emissions and energy use in non-domestic buildings by setting energy performance and emission targets. These targets will be met through identifying and carrying out improvement works to be carried out in the new Action Plan. The Action Plan will be in addition to the EPC and the improvement work measures must be legally met. This legislation take effect from 1st September 2016. These new regulations will have implications when selling and letting property.
The Investment Property Databank (IPD) Sustainability Index was introduced in March 2008 and monitors the ungeared performance of sustainable commercial properties in comparison to standard investment properties.
Results are published twice a year showing performance results or more and less sustainable properties in the UK market. Performance data is drawn from over 1,200 properties, from over 100 portfolios and worth £23.1bn (as at March 2011).
The data is collated from all sectors of property including retail (£12,336m), office (£7,742 million), industrial (£2,487 million) and other (£553 million).
The Kyoto Protocol introduced many initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions, one was Carbon Trading; however carbon credit prices have fallen by 50% since June 2011.
The idea behind Carbon Trading was that a limit would be established to emit greenhouse gases from high emissions. Once the limit was established then polluters would either have to buy the right to pollute or stop polluting or a combination of the two. Paying to pollute would involve purchasing carbon credits.
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