Category Archives: Sustainability

New Carbon Offsetting Requirements for UKGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) recently released their updated document on Renewable Energy Procurement and Carbon Offsetting: Guidance for Net Zero. The guidance was released alongside a webinar explaining the changes made as a response to feedback for the public consultation draft, which was released in late-2020. The update outlines the pathways for taking […]

UKGBC Net Zero Carbon Offsetting

UKGBC Task Group On Renewable Energy Procurement & Carbon Offsetting Introduction to the Guidance During 2018/19 the UKGBC brought together a task group to develop a harmonised understanding of what net zero carbon should mean for the UK building sector, as part of the Advancing Net Zero programme. In October 2019, specific sections relating to […]

Oxford Principles for Net Zero Carbon Offsetting

University of Oxford Releases Principles for Net Zero Carbon In September of 2020, climate scientists from The University of Oxford, UK, released a guide on carbon offsetting. The Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting, also called the Oxford Principles, comments on how a net zero society can be achieved through the utilisation of […]

Circular Ecology Form Tree Planting Partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects

Circular Ecology are delighted to announce a new tree planting partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects. Trees provide many benefits and not only for the environment. Eden Reforestation projects reduces extreme poverty and restores healthy forests by employing local villagers to plant millions of trees every year. Where are the trees planted? The trees are planted […]

Microsoft go Carbon Negative as Unilever go Carbon Positive

Microsoft has committed to being carbon negative by 2030. Unilever has committed to being carbon positive by 2030. Ah! There we have a problem. Climate tug of war? Of course not…. Naturally both companies are aspiring to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than they cause. These are also very admirable and worthy commitments, even […]

Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Released

Green Construction

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has recently released a framework for net zero carbon buildings. This is a positive step forward for improving the environmental impacts of construction. The framework covers both embodied carbon and operational carbon. We have put together a summary article on net zero carbon buildings. What is net zero, how […]

Carbon Footprint of UK Electricity 2018

In the world of carbon footprinting, the emissions factors from the UK government are a seminal resource. Each year that they are updated gives new insight into the decarbonising UK electricity supply. The 2018 factors are now available. So, what do the “UK Government greenhouse gas (GHG) conversion factors for company reporting” tell us about […]

Carbon Footprint of UK Electricity – Year on Year Change

Each year the UK government releases their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions factors for company reporting. Within the carbon footprinting sector they are often know as Defra’s GHG emissions factors, despite now being produced by the Government department, BEIS (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy). They are an invaluable resource for carbon footprint professionals.​In August […]

Whole Life Carbon as a Vehicle for Innovation

This is Part II of the article, part I revealed how the HM Treasury stated that…  “Reducing carbon reduces costs” – HM Treasury, 2013 The Infrastructure Carbon Review (2013) made this bold statement. It appears word for word in the report. However, such a bold statement should not be taken out of context and it […]

The Business Value of Carbon Footprints: Reducing Carbon Reduces Costs

What is the value of carbon footprinting? Why should I carbon footprint our business, products, activities or constructions? Why should I do an embodied carbon assessment? These are the questions we face almost daily. The reply is now: “Reducing carbon reduces costs” A bold claim indeed. It’s a claim that would normally be met with […]