Government urged to set 40GW solar target
Group of NGOs suggests a solar boost could bring a range of environmental benefits
A group of non-governmental organisations has urged the government to deploy 40GW of solar energy by 2030.
The coalition which includes among others environmental organisations Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth, the UK Green Building Council and the Green Finance Institute suggests solar parks could support biodiversity, air quality, soil regulation and sustainable agricultural practices.
The coalition calls policymakers to set a minimum target for the deployment of solar energy in the UK.
This should be in line with independent assessments of how much solar is needed to help the UK meet its net zero aims.
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Date: 27 May 2021
Ministers should cut VAT on repairs for electrical goods and green home improvements, to help people reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their everyday lives, an influential committee of MPs has urged. Funding for green home grants to install insulation and low-carbon heating, should also be restored to kickstart a “ green recovery” in the UK, said the environmental audit committee in a report on how to “grow back better” from the coronavirus.
MPs echo RetroFirst campaign in call for sweeping policy reform
A powerful committee of MPs has echoed the AJ RetroFirst campaign’s recommendations on VAT and policy
A new report from the Environmental Audit Committee calls for new regulations to cover embodied carbon in construction and asks chancellor Rishi Sunak to use his Spring Budget on 3 March to ‘correct the disparity’ between the zero rate of VAT on new-build construction and the full rate charged on retrofitting.
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The report seeks to advise the government on how it can ‘build back better’ in the wake of the Covid 19 crisis and capitalise on hosting the COP 26 international climate summit later this year.
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The 12-storey building will be clad from top to bottom in ivy
Make Architects has been given the go ahead for a 12-storey commercial building in Salford featuring a full-height living wall.
The developers said the building would be 100% fossil fuel-free, with the ivy absorbing air pollution, reducing nearby temperatures, providing insulation and improving biodiversty in the surrounding area.
The building will also make use of sustainable materials, including recycled steel and cement replacements in its substructure and superstructure.
The architect claims this will result in a reduction of upfront embodied carbon intensity from 1100kgCO2/m2 for a typical development of this type down to 770kgCO2/m.