Latest Articles
Materials matter: How are advancements in low-carbon construction products driving the net zero agenda?
G&T’s sustainability consultant, Richard Francis, recently took part in Assemble Media Group’s (AMG) webinar Materials Matter: How are advancements in low-carbon construction products driving the net zero agenda? as part of its Net Zero Live programme.
By Richard Francis
HVDC Links & Interconnectors: Unlocking Europe's Renewable Energy Grid
The UK and Europe are undergoing a green-energy revolution and there has been unprecedented investment across wind and solar in the last decade. The proportion of energy generated from renewable sources is increasing rapidly. However, it is not enough to merely generate this energy, it must also be supplied to where it is needed, when it is needed.
By Hou-Fung Yuen
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The Two Greatest Challenges of Converting Offices into Hotels
The Two Greatest Challenges of Converting Offices into Hotels
With the Government’s target of meeting net zero carbon by 2050 increasing awareness and concerns on ESG and embodied carbon, and with new, modern offices coming to the market, the opportunity – and need – to look at the conversion and adaptive re-use of existing stock is growing.
By Theo Constantinides
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Plant-Based Places: Regulation and Other Barriers to Greater Uptake
Plant-Based Places: Regulation and Other Barriers to Greater Uptake
In prior articles in this series, we have looked at issues (net zero carbon, healthy buildings) and innovations (new materials, technological developments) that have propelled the idea of plant-based spaces. This is the positive side of the discussion. What also needs consideration, however, are some of the limitations and hurdles facing further adoption of plant-based materials.
By Richard Francis
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Spring Budget 2024: A Budget for Long Term Growth
Spring Budget 2024: A Budget for Long Term Growth
In his statement to the House of Commons, the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a range of measures which will have a direct impact on the UK property and construction sectors.
By Jared Carver
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Market Update Q1 2024
Market Update Q1 2024
Our Market Update Q1 2024 is now available! Explore our new film for the highlights from this quarter, where reassuring input cost trends and improving supply chain capacity are weighed against an uncertain growth outlook and supply chain concerns.
By Rachel Collins
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Trust and Productivity: The Private Sector Construction Playbook
Trust and Productivity: The Private Sector Construction Playbook
An interview with Andrew Browne, G&T board partner and private sector construction playbook representative, discussing the details behind the groundbreaking publication
By Andrew Browne
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Construction Materials Technologies: Old Materials, New Approaches
Construction Materials Technologies: Old Materials, New Approaches
The construction industry, long known for its resilience and adaptability, is undergoing a profound transformation thanks to the latest advancements in construction materials technologies. These innovations are not only enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of construction projects but also revolutionising the very foundations of how we build our world.
By Michael Urie
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Market Update Q4 2023
Market Update Q4 2023
Our Market Update Q4 2023 is now available! Explore our new film for the highlights from this quarter, where early signs of softer sub-contractor pricing and improving supply chain capacity are weighed against a challenging debt market for new, speculative work.
By Andrew Browne
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Autumn Statement 2023: A Statement for Growth
Autumn Statement 2023: A Statement for Growth
Jeremy Hunt went on a spending spree in what will likely be his penultimate Budget Statement before the next General Election. But will the Christmas presents he has bought provide the boost the UK needs?
By Jared Carver
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Decarbonising the Built Environment – EPC, MEES and the Cost Implications
Decarbonising the Built Environment – EPC, MEES and the Cost Implications
Since its introduction in 2007, the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) has been the main method of assessing the energy efficiency of buildings in the UK. The Government has recently revisited the EPC requirements, seeking to update them and make them more stringent. Currently, proposed Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) legislation mandates a phased implementation of the EPC B by 2030 requirement, with EPC C by 2027 set as an interim milestone for all commercial non-domestic buildings.
By Richard Francis
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The Growth of Plant-Based Materials
The Growth of Plant-Based Materials
In this series of articles, we first set out the plant-based model and how its principles can be applied to both the construction and operation of buildings. We believe successful plant-based materials will mimic the qualities of conventional products (in terms of strength, functionality, etc) while providing sustainable benefits. Over time, as sustainability concerns mount, they will become increasingly attractive, not as alternatives but as products of choice.
By Richard Francis
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Beyond the Bottom Line: How Benefits-Led Programmes create value for society
Beyond the Bottom Line: How Benefits-Led Programmes create value for society
At a time when our society faces unprecedented challenges, the concept of value for money is evolving to encompass more than just the outputs from new infrastructure assets. There is a growing emphasis to realise broader benefits and societal outcomes established in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies that are intrinsically linked to organisational objectives and purpose.
By Arvinder Birdi
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Carbon Capture Storage – “A Necessity, Not an Option” in UK’s Transition to Net Zero
Carbon Capture Storage – “A Necessity, Not an Option” in UK’s Transition to Net Zero
To achieve net zero emissions, industry - the biggest source of greenhouse gases - needs to rapidly scale up its use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. CCS has been deemed a “necessity, not an option” by climate change experts for the UK to deliver net zero emissions. So far, the deployment of CCS has been slow and uneven, but there are signs of acceleration.
By Michael Urie
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Market Update Q3 2023
Market Update Q3 2023
Our Market Update Q3 2023 is out now! Check out our new film for the highlights from this quarter and discover how despite challenges, the UK economy is proving more resilient than first thought at the start of the year.
By Kerry Gibbs
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Healthy Buildings and the Plant-Based Model
Healthy Buildings and the Plant-Based Model
In this article, we will explore how natural and plant-based materials assist human health and wellbeing. In addition, we will suggest how plant-based processes (sequestering carbon, removing toxins from the air, conserving water, biodegrading naturally, etc.) represent the future playbook of an effective ESG strategy.
By Richard Francis
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New Recommendations for London's Sustainable Skyline
New Recommendations for London's Sustainable Skyline
After a year of evidence gathering, the City of London’s Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce has launched its recommendations report – highlighting the need for direct action to ensure Central London has a globally competitive sustainable commercial built environment.
By Matthias Holman
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Plant-Based Places: Net Zero and the Plant-Based Model
Plant-Based Places: Net Zero and the Plant-Based Model
The drive for net zero carbon in construction and real estate represents an unparalleled development in the history of green buildings. There has been a fundamental shift in how we understand carbon emissions and the evolving and expanding definition of net zero carbon exemplifies this change.
By Richard Francis
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Plant-Based Places: Emerging Products and Principles
Plant-Based Places: Emerging Products and Principles
The rise of ESG and net zero carbon has greatly increased our industry’s appetite for innovation and new thinking. After three decades of relative stability (characterised by green building certifications and regulations) there is now an emerging drive to deliver buildings that better appeal to a wider, more sustainably savvy audience.
By Richard Francis
