News

Since October last year the NHS Net Zero Building Standard has applied to all investments in new buildings and upgrades to existing facilities that are subject to the HM Treasury business case approval process.

Everyone involved in the construction and upgrading of NHS buildings has a role to play in the achievement of the Standard. Do you know what is expected of you?

We have extensive experience of performing the NHS Net Zero Coordinator role, supporting NHS Trusts, the design team and contractors in working towards the Standard and advising them on compliance with the Standard.

We have organised a free seminar where we will take you through:

• The key points of the NHS Net Zero Building Standard
• What is net zero in terms of the Standard
• How does a project secure compliance with the Standard
• The responsibilities of the client, each member of the design team and the contractor
• A snapshot of the measurement metrics we have to undertake as the Net Zero Coordinator

If you would like to attend our event on Thursday 9^th May at Elliot House, Manchester, M3 3WD, please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/demystifying-the-nhs-net-zero-building-standard-tickets-868337178877

The event will start between 8 am and 9 am for a light breakfast and tea or coffee. The presentation will begin at 9 am, followed by a Q&A session, which will close at 10 am. You are welcome to stay for a further tea or coffee until 10.30 am.

Phase 5 of the Government’s Low Carbon Skills Fund has been announced.  This Funding is aimed at helping public sector organisations engage the specialist and expert advice and skills required to put in place or improve an existing heat decarbonisation plan.

Applications will open on 17th April at 2pm, and will be closed two weeks after the portal opens on 1^st May at 2pm.

Our team has a proven track record of helping clients successfully secure funding through this programme, such as Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue.  We are confident we can do the same for your organisation.

Our experienced team can provide tailored advice and recommendations on the most effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint and transition to more sustainable heating solutions, as well as designing low-carbon mechanical and electrical systems that are customised to your organisation’s needs.

We urge you to take advantage of this opportunity and act quickly to secure your application. Don’t miss out on the chance to access funding that can help your organisation become more sustainable and reduce your carbon footprint.

Please contact Head of Net Zero UK, Matthew Pickford to discuss this further on 0161 393 9310 or email: m.pickford@netzerouk.com 

We’re marking one year since we became a carbon-neutral company.

We are proud to say that we have maintained our carbon-negative status in accordance with the global PAS 2060 standard for 2023.

Upon our certification in January 2023, we were able to further reduce our carbon footprint by 4.5 tonnes of carbon in gas usage, 4.5 tonnes of carbon in business travel and 1.2 tonnes of carbon in commuting and home working. This data covers our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, resulting in a cumulative total of 62.057 tCO2. This is a total saving of 7.263 tC02 compared to the previous year.

We remain committed to reducing the carbon impact of every project we deliver. For instance, we have recently identified decarbonisation strategies for various buildings in a site-wide decarbonisation masterplan for Buckinghamshire New University and have identified decarbonisation strategies for the Royal Oldham General Hospital that will be used as a long-term strategic roadmap for the hospital to follow over the next 15-20 years.

We are proud to have achieved this status for the second year, as it is an essential part of our net-zero journey.  We are committed to following its criteria year-on-year.

Our Director, David Stafford, will be attending MIPIM 2024, which is the world’s largest international real estate event taking place in Cannes 12^th-15^th March.

MIPIM brings together people from all areas of property investment, development and construction for face-to-face discussions, seminars, and thought leadership. This year’s theme, “Getting Beyond,” looks at how we can work together to combat climate change and connect and inspire the construction world to create a more sustainable, liveable, and prosperous place for all.

Director David Stafford commented, “Last year, MIPIM launched its dedicated Road to Zero area, showcasing sustainable ideas that will help the property sector on its journey towards net zero. As sustainability is at the core of everything we do, this is a perfect platform to promote our knowledge and expertise in net zero and decarbonisation services.”

At Net Zero UK, our teams work with clients from all sectors, offering expertise in reducing carbon emissions and achieving regulatory compliance. We provide a wide range of services to help our clients achieve “Net Zero Carbon” status in their buildings’ operational carbon. Additionally, we advise our clients on reducing the embedded carbon emissions of their buildings and help deliver buildings that are truly net-zero carbon in both construction and operation.

If you are also attending MIPIM 2024, please contact us to arrange a meet-up out in Cannes

We are proud to be the drinks reception sponsor at Place North West’s annual Place Party.

The must-attend event dedicated to dancing, dinner and informal networking brings together more than 700 of the region’s professionals and is an absolute staple in the UK property event calendar.

The Place Party will take place at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester on Thursday 4^th October, with team members from Net Zero UK in attendance. For more information, visit Place Northwest.

Happy World Engineering Day! Today, we join the world in celebrating the fascinating world of engineering and the engineers behind the innovative solutions propelling us towards a sustainable future.

This year’s theme, “Engineering innovation for a more resilient world”, is significant to us as we support our clients in their objectives to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. As leading decarbonisation experts, we help clients deliver high-quality, sustainable solutions.

We are proud of the part we play in many key projects aimed at making our world a better, more resilient place. Such projects include: the Liverpool Heart & Chest decarbonisation reports; Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Low Carbon Skills Fund, Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Low Carbon Surveys and the Co-operative low carbon store.

At the heart of each project is a team of experienced building physics engineers whose knowledge and dedication play a key role in our success. Today, we’re excited to celebrate our team and engineering professionals worldwide whose contributions are integral to a better tomorrow.

To find out more about World Engineering Day, visit: https://worldengineeringday.net/

Having successfully calculated the carbon impact of our entire business operation for validation by NQA and offsetting our residual carbon emissions, we are pleased to announce that we have achieved carbon-neutral status in accordance with the global PAS 2060 standard.

PAS 2060 is the only internationally recognised guideline for verifying carbon-neutral business operations or products and was created out of the need for a standard, consistent and transparent approach to demonstrating carbon neutrality.

Consistent with our approach to reducing the carbon impact of every project we deliver, making our company carbon neutral is an essential milestone on our net-zero journey and provides us with the scope to focus on reducing our total emissions year on year.

The data covered Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions: direct and indirect emissions relating to the energy used in our offices and emissions relating to business travel with a cumulative total of 69.32 tC02e which was offset by the sponsorship of a net zero project.

We have always been mindful of the impact of our actions on the environment, having invested in renewable technologies in our office in the form of solar photovoltaics together with fabric improvements and the installation of high-efficiency LED lighting. Still, we have aspired to go beyond by offering an additional 10 % of our total carbon emissions by supporting a Hydro electric power project.

There is still plenty for us to do and accomplish in our net zero and carbon reduction ambitions. However, being granted PAS 2060 status and committing to following its criteria year-on-year is a great way to start the year.

Salix Finance has announced the launch of the third phase of funding for the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF) in partnership with the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which offers up to £14 million of grant funding for public sector organisations.

LCSF Phase 3 builds on the success of the first two phases of LCSF funding, with the aim of supporting public sector organisations to develop heat decarbonisation plans (HDPs) for their estate.

The scheme provides grants to obtain expert advice and professional skills to create or improve upon an existing HDP setting out the steps and proposed timeline for decarbonising the building’s heating systems. Having a robust HDP will put organisations in a strong position to take the next steps in decarbonising, including enabling them to develop detailed project proposals that will help them to apply for any future grant funding for capital decarbonisation measures or alternative sources of finance. This enables organisations to think more strategically and be better prepared for future decarbonisation opportunities.

Applications for Phase 3 of the LCSF are open Wednesday 15^th June at 2 pm for all eligible public sector bodies.

How can we help?

Net Zero UK can help you to produce your HDP by providing expert advice on all aspects of building & energy modelling, climate change, comfort, and wellbeing, and provide quantified decarbonisation reports identifying improvements to both building fabric and services to help reduce carbon emissions.

We can also provide detailed mechanical and electrical designs for all types of decarbonisation works together with construction phase monitoring, helping to ensure that the energy efficiency goals targeted are met.

We have already helped several clients to produce their HDPs, such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Contact us today to see how we can help you.

Find out more about the Low Carbon Skills Fund here: https://www.salixfinance.co.uk/P3LCSF