Sustainability Archives

Accelerating Growth: The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill for a Sustainable Future

by Oscar Venus | Jan 30, 2025 | Sustainability

The Government has announced its priorities for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will be introduced in the spring to speed up 150 major infrastructure projects and support the delivery of 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change , the Chancellor has committed to the ‘smooth, speedy and rapid delivery’ of the Bill, which is key to reforming the planning system and kickstarting economic growth.

The default answer to the development of acceptable types of schemes in key areas ‐ for example near commuter transport hubs ‐ will be ‘yes’. The current system of environmental impact assessments will also be replaced with Environmental Outcome Reports to reduce costs and delays.
With over half of all decisions on major infrastructure taken to court, there will be just one attempt at judicial review in most cases, rather than three, and where a judge in an oral hearing at the High Court deems the case ‘Totally Without Merit’, it will not be possible to ask the Court of Appeal to reconsider the verdict.
A Nature Restoration Fund will be established, allowing developers to pool contributions into a single fund to meet their environmental obligations, rather than on a project‐by‐project basis.

The Government has also published a working paper setting out the principles and objectives for its 10‐year infrastructure strategy, which for the first time aims to bring together a long‐term plan for the country’s economic, social and housing infrastructure. It includes a commitment to produce an infrastructure pipeline in order to give industry a ‘clear sense’ of the Government’s priorities and support investment. Decisions have already been made on a number of significant projects, including airports, data centres, energy farms and housing developments, and the Chancellor has now confirmed the Government’s support for a third runway at Heathrow and the regeneration of the Old Trafford area in Manchester.

Trends in sustainable solutions for the built environment

by Clair Mooney | Jan 22, 2025 | Main News Feed, Sustainability

FIS is pleased to be featured as one of the innovative solutions providers in the UK Green Builing Council’s (UKGBC) Trends in Sustainable Solutions Report.

Buildings are a crucial area of opportunity when it comes to environmental and social sustainability, as reflected at COP29 with the launch of the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate.

In 2024, the new Government accelerated green reforms demonstrating a strong narrative around climate ambitions, particularly in relation to new build and retrofit. Going forward the hope is this narrative crystalises into tangible and robust policies, importantly as the UK’s Climate Change Committee’s new Progress Report saw buildings emerge as a priority item on the agenda putting them in the focus for decarbonisation efforts.

However, this is a steep challenge as the industry needs to almost halve its emissions by 2030 (compared to a 2018 baseline) and decarbonise fully by 2050, while addressing other areas of sustainability, including enhancing resilience, social value, health & wellbeing, nature & biodiversity and reducing resource use. Meeting this challenge not only requires innovation in technologies, business models and ways of operating, but also increased and more strategic implementation of existing sustainable solutions.

FIS Sustainability Lead, Flavie Lowres said:

Sustainability is finally moving at pace, but it is still hard to define what needs to be done. This UKGBC report turns theory into practical applications by providing a list of example solutions/initiatives. It is great that UKGBC has picked up on our FIS Reuse Initiative – it shows we are moving in the right direction and asking the right questions.

This report summarises a range of sustainable solution trends that UKGBC has seen over the course of 2024, provides context on their use, and comments on the relevant driving forces in the UK market. The solutions discussed range from innovative new platforms and materials to transformative business models and processes. The analysis is based on engagement with innovation-focused UKGBC members (including input from UKGBC’s Solutions & Innovation Advisory Group), interviews with UKGBC topic leads, and desktop research.

Trends in Sustainable Solutions 2024

Access the report here

New food waste legislation from 1 April 2025

by Clair Mooney | Jan 16, 2025 | Employment, Sustainability

New commercial food waste legislation comes in to force in the UK from the end of March 2025. This is part of Defra’s simpler recycling plans that aim to improve recycling rates, simplify waste management, and benefit the environment. It means that from this date businesses with 10 employees or more will have to separate food waste from other rubbish streams. Companies must store food waste in separate bins and arrange collection by licensed waste carriers.

The new default requirement for most workplaces will be four containers:

residual (non-recyclable) waste
food waste (mixed with garden waste if appropriate)
paper and card
all other dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal and glass)

Mandatory food waste separation aims to ensure less waste food makes its way to landfill sites and is instead disposed of responsibly.

Government responds to consultation on the introduction of a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

by Clair Mooney | Nov 21, 2024 | Sustainability

On 30 October 2024 the Government issued its response to the consultation on the introduction of a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). CBAM will ensure that UK decarbonisation efforts lead to a true reduction in global emissions rather than simply displacing carbon emissions overseas. It will place a carbon price on goods that are at risk of carbon leakage imported to the UK on carbon intensive sectors, such as aluminium, cement, iron and steel. The UK CBAM will come into force on 1 January 2027. Businesses importing £50,000 or more of CBAM goods over a 12-month period will need to comply with the UK CBAM.

The glass and ceramics sectors are not in scope for this deadline to allow government and industry time to address feasibility concerns raised throughout the consultation process. It is likely that those will be included at a later date.

More details can be found here: Government Response

If you would like to join the CBAM mailing list to stay informed of policy developments please contact cbampolicyteam@hmrc.gov.uk

FIS Sustainability Hub

Visit our Sustainability Hub where we look at some of the key actions that you can take and also some of the wider sector initiatives that can support your business in setting a sustainability strategy.

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FIS Sustainability Research – Your help needed

by Oscar Venus | Nov 15, 2024 | Sustainability

FIS is data driven and keen to support research that improves our collective understanding to and helps us to drive positive change. To this end, the FIS Sustainability Leadership Group has agreed to support the research stage of a Masters Project being conducted by Nicola Forest (who has a long association of working with the group).

Nicola is now employed by The Crown Estate and her project is looking at the barriers to circularity in London by proposing a material flow analysis methodology to quantify available materials within London’s CAT B office building stock. The project will map the types and locations of existing materials by analysing their lifecycles and assessing their potential for reuse.

With growing interest in this subject and a scarcity of academic studies in this area, this research is both timely and crucial. Specifically Nicola is looking to the FIS community to help:

Provide opportunities to undertake site visits of recent fit outs (completed within the last 1 to 2 years exceeding £10 million) through clients, end-users and fit out contractors
Provide copies of architectural finishes schedules for fit outs (completed within the last 1 to 2 years exceeding £10 million) from architects, sustainability design consultants and contractors. Please can you also confirm total floor area for each finishes schedule provided.
Provide copies of any existing pre-demolition audits for projects expecting strip out in the next 12 months.

The completed data will be showcased through a digital and interactive map created with GIS and Power BI. Users will be able to click on buildings to reveal internal components, estimated quantities (calculated using material coefficient rates and reuse efficiency), and potential reuse opportunities. This will be shared with participants and key findings will be presented to FIS Sustainability Leadership Group to support our ongoing work.

We hope you can support Nicola, to take part or find out more, please email njf44@cam.ac.uk

FIS Project Reuse goes live

by Iain McIlwee | Jul 22, 2024 | Sustainability

FIS Project Reuse is live and underway. Encouraging reuse was highlighted as a priority for the FIS Sustainability Leadership Group. Following several round tables and working group discussions FIS has decided to take the plunge and set up a pilot storage facility in East London. This facility will help us to isolate and resolve the issues that are blocking a more systemic approach to re-use in key product areas. The pilot will interrogate barriers, potential commercial models and start to create a end-to end process supported by appropriate standards that will help to normalise and industrialise re-use.

The pilot will focus initially on suspended metal ceiling tiles and luminaires. The project is viable thanks to the support and financial contributions of 10 amazing pioneer partners from all parts of the supply chain. This intrepid group drawn from architects, fit-out contractors, strip out contractors, sustainability consultancies and manufacturers bring deep knowledge and a great balance of outstanding skills and practical experience to the table.

As a first step we have identified some ceiling tiles which will, hopefully, make their way to the storage facility shortly and we are visiting the site where they are currently installed next week. This process will help us understand what information is required to ensure that the process of finding a new home goes as smoothly as possible.

This project has the potential to create the framework to develop a universal marketplace for reuse products and thereby reduce waste and the carbon impact associated with fit-out projects.

We need your support to make sure we can take the project to the next step and continue on the great work that has been started. Contributions range from £2k to £5k. If you want to know more about or be part of a great project, please contact me at flavielowres@thefis.org

To find out more about the project and see our list of amazing pioneer partners click here