A sustainable housebuilder has set out its vision for the future – and how it will help tackle climate change and promote biodiversity in the communities it builds.

Cora, based in Northamptonshire, has released its new Sustainability Report, setting out clear targets on cutting emissions and construction waste, nature stewardship, social responsibility and reducing its carbon footprint.

Luke Simmons, Managing Director of Cora, said: “This is a very exciting time at the company.

“Last year the company underwent a complete rebrand and we developed our new Sustainable Building Framework, our new vision for the future.

Boningale Limited has signed up to the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) ‘Sustainability Roadmap Supports pledge,’ publishing its own Sustainability Plan in response to climate and biodiversity issues.

The Shropshire-based nursery, which produces around 2.2 million shrubs, herbaceous and perennial plants per year supplying commercial landscapers, Garden Designers, Green Roofing Installers, and domestic and retail markets has been ISO14001 accredited since 2007. Recent training sessions with the HTA and PlanetMark have provided Boningale with guidance on how to put together a structured sustainability plan which will drive the changes that are necessary.

Donations from Merton-based supply chain compliance expert, CHAS, are helping fund the essential work of local environmental charity Sustainable Merton.

Founded in 2007, Sustainable Merton is dedicated to inspiring, mobilising and enabling the Merton community to respond to the climate emergency while also improving local quality of life. With the support of its army of volunteers, it works to champion sustainability and make a difference through community-led projects that address issues around waste, air quality, energy and food.

Michelmersh has announced its successful bid to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) UK Government, Industrial Fuel Switching competition to conduct a feasibility study to replace natural gas with hydrogen in the brick making process. The programme is part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) which aims to provide funding for low-carbon technologies to decreasing the costs of decarbonisation.

The project represents a global flagship physical study to replace natural gas with hydrogen in brick manufacturing. Phase 1 of the project will demonstrate the viability of fuel switching and will see hydrogen used in the clay brick production process at Michelmersh’s Freshfield Lane site. The project aims to inspire radical change across the sector and present opportunities and evidence-based research to support manufacturers on their journey to heavily decarbonise the production processes.

The Michelmersh Group is proud to release its 2021 Sustainability Report. The Report offers an insightful and detailed account of Michelmersh’s established sustainable practices and its plans for achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Michelmersh is determined to continue being the sustainable face of clay brick manufacturing and with the support of its Chief Executives, its dedicated Sustainability Group and Net Zero Steering Group, it has already undertaken numerous projects to minimise its environmental impact and increase its already efficient production methods with state-of-the-art technology, reporting systems and quality standards.

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched a new online Solutions Library designed to address shared sustainability challenges within the property and construction sector and enhance collaboration between innovators and corporates.

UKGBC points out that many of its members have already set ambitious targets relating to their environmental and social impact, and all business members are now required to have a corporate commitment to climate action. Now it is focusing its work on enabling its members and the industry to achieve those targets.

Research in sustainable production and consumption focuses on sustainable business models, which describe how a firm provides value to customers, connects to suppliers and acquires resources in a profitable and environmentally sustainable manner. Business models configured for the circular economy receive particular attention, because of their potential to reduce resources consumption, generation of exhaust materials and plastic pollution. Examples of such business models are known as Product Service Systems (PSS), systems of products, services, networks of actors and supporting infrastructure developed to be more resource efficient that traditional business models. PSS types include car-sharing services such as car clubs and bicycle sharing offerings where customers use cars and bicycles sequentially. PSS feature tangible and intangible (service) elements, and often involve shared use of products by multiple users, who do not purchase them outright, which helps deliver resource efficiency.

Join this webinar to discover more about studying a Sustainability and Environmental Management online at Derby The webinar includes a 30-minute presentation from Uche Okere, Academic Lead for Sustainability and Environmental Management.