Useful links
Government Related Sites
Department of Energy & Climate Change
The Department of Energy and Climate Change is responsible for all aspects of UK energy policy, and for tackling global climate change on behalf of the UK. A key aspect of which is to help the UK move to a low-carbon economy.
Communities & Local Government – Code for Sustainable Homes
Communities and Local Government works to create thriving, sustainable, vibrant communities that improve everyone's quality of life.
Industry Related Sites
Expert, impartial research, knowledge and advice for the built environment sector and beyond.
BRE helps government, industry and business to meet the challenges of our built environment. Today's need to combat climate change, and the significant economic and social issues we now face, are no exceptions.
An independent, UK-based organisation focused on promoting action that leads to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. A source of free advice and information for people across the UK looking to save energy, conserve water and reduce waste.
The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit company with the mission to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy.
South East Forum for Sustainability (SEFS) is the environmental network for the region. SEFS aim is to help promote and achieve sustainable development in the South East. We work with regional government to ensure that environmental issues are central in all decision making processes.
The Good Homes Alliance (GHA) is a group of housing developers, building professionals and other industry supporters whose aim is to close the gap between aspiration and reality by showing how to build and monitor good homes which are sustainable in the broadest sense.
The UK Government has set out an ambitious plan for all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016. The Zero Carbon Hub is here to help you understand the challenges, issues and opportunities involved in developing, building and marketing your low and zero carbon homes.
Forums and Interesting Reading
Modern Built Environment - Knowledge Transfer Network
MBE KTN is a single, national, over-arching Knowledge Transfer Network for the Modern Built Environment. The network brings together all organisations that make up the supply chains active in the built environment, such as businesses (suppliers and clients), universities, research and technology organisations, the finance community and government departments and agencies. These organisations are brought together to take part in, or benefit from, a range of MBE KTN led activities aimed at enabling the exchange of knowledge and stimulating innovation across the built environment.
Building4change is an online knowledge hub, dedicated to sustainability issues in the built environment.
Setting the industry standards
BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a building's environmental performance.
