INDUSTRY NEWS Inbrief Sponsored by


Burner manufacturer EOGB Energy Products has announced the introduction of an extended warranty on its range of biogreen long-life fl exible oil hoses for domestic oil burners. www.eogb.co.uk


Smith Brothers Oldham is inviting customers to its open day on May 10 to celebrate the offi cial relocation of the branch. www.sbs.co.uk


JG Speedfi t is looking forward to continuing its long involvement with the British Superbike Championship – and in particular, its ongoing sponsorship of the current title-holding team. www.johnguest.com/speedfi t


Rinnai is now off ering free training courses to any installer or contractor who wants to extend their business and off er service and maintenance to their customers. www.rinnai-uk.co.uk


Leading manufacturers from Ireland and the rest of Europe assembled at the two-day SEAI Energy Show in Dublin, where Hamworthy Heating’s Irish distributor Hevac accepted the distinction ‘Commended’ at this year’s SEAI Awards for Hamworthy’s Upton boiler. www.hamworthy-heating.com


The All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment (APPGEBE) has commenced its seventh inquiry, which will look at how the recruitment and retention of more women in construction might help to ameliorate the industry’s skills requirements post-Brexit. www.parliament.uk


Titon has completed the refurbishment of its state-of- the-art 4.5-acre manufacturing base in Haverhill, strengthening its off ering to customers and suppliers. www.titon.co.uk


David Williamson has been appointed as sales director for Wilo UK, joining from Whitecroft Lighting. www.wilo.com/gb/en


ZERO CARBON BUILDING PLAN LAUNCHED IN PARLIAMENT


T


he UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has delivered a framework for the UK construction and property industry to transition new and existing buildings to becoming net zero carbon by 2050, to meet the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement. BSRIA is part of the net zero carbon buildings task


group which has supported this framework. The task group brings together over 180 experts and stakeholders from across the built environment value chain and is being supported by 13 leading industry bodies. It off ers an all-embracing framework of consistent principles and metrics that can be integrated into tools, policies and practices, and aims to build consensus in the industry on the path to decarbonising buildings. The new framework recommends guidance for


developers, owners and occupiers targeting net zero carbon buildings, setting out key principles to follow and summarising how this goal can be measured and evidenced. Two approaches to net zero carbon are suggested.


With regards to construction, the embodied emissions associated with products and construction should be measured, reduced and off set to achieve net zero carbon. Second – and in relation to operational energy – the


energy used by the building in operation should be reduced and, where possible, demand met through renewable energy. Any remaining emissions from operational energy use should be off set to achieve net zero carbon. The next decade will see the scope and ambition of the


framework increased, in order to boost greater action. In the short term, extra conditions will be introduced to challenge industry, including minimum energy effi ciency targets and limits on the use of off sets. In the longer term, the two scopes for construction and


operational energy will be combined into a wider approach for net zero whole life carbon, covering all the emissions associated with the construction, operation, maintenance and demolition of a building. Richard Twinn, senior policy advisor at the UKGBC,


said: “The urgency of tackling climate change means that businesses must work together to drive down emissions as fast as possible. But this requires a shared vision for what needs to be achieved and the action that needs to be taken. “This framework is intended as a catalyst for the


construction and property industry to build consensus on the transition to net zero carbon buildings and start to work towards consistent and ambitious outcomes. It is the fi rst step on a journey towards ensuring all of our buildings are fi t for the future.” Peter Tse, business manager, BSRIA’s Sustainable Construction Group, said: “BSRIA is proud to be involved in the development of this essential net zero carbon buildings framework defi nition, along with the other built environment experts and stakeholders. “The framework vitally provides a clear defi nition of net


zero carbon buildings and direction towards a zero-carbon future. “This framework challenges the construction and


property industry to reassess the way buildings are designed, constructed and run, which requires a cultural change. A verifi ed net zero carbon building for operational energy is based on in-use energy, instead of modelled energy, demonstrating a building’s performance is at net zero carbon. “BSRIA’s Soft Landings initiative is an established


approach, supporting the industry re-focus towards in-use performance.”


SEC GROUP DEMANDS INSOLVENCY ACTION I


n the wake of the recent insolvency statistics published by ONS, the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group has called for urgent action on measures to tighten payment security. Over the 12 months ending in the


fi rst quarter of this year, there were 3,013 company insolvencies in the industry – the highest for any sector in the UK. SEC Group’s chief executive,


Professor Rudi Klein, said these fi gures were alarming: “Insolvencies in the industry are running at their highest rate since the recession. Whilst some can be put down to the


continuing fall-out from Carillion’s demise, many are the result of worsening cashfl ow and widespread payment abuse.”


Mr Klein added: “I’m disappointed


that, after almost 18 months following the Carillion collapse, we are still waiting for decisive action on payment.” SEC Group has been promoting two


Private Members’ Bills in the House of Commons in order to improve construction payment security. The fi rst of these is the Construction (Retention Deposit Schemes) Bill laid by Waveney MP Peter Aldous, and the second is the


Public Sector Supply Chains (Project Bank Accounts) Bill laid by Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham and Saddleworth. The ‘Aldous Bill’ will ensure that


retention monies are protected in a ring-fenced scheme. The Abrahams Bill requires that all


payments on public sector projects would be made to the supply chain directly from one ring-fenced account, without the monies having to cascade through the diff erent layers of contracting. SEC Group intends to pursue these


measures through to the next session of Parliament.


6 May 2019


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