Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC)’s Post

A big thanks to Triton Showers for inviting me as their guest to this year’s Future Homes Conference on Wednesday 4th December, at the QEII Centre in Westminster, London. The Future Homes Conference 2024, delivered by the Future Homes Hub, is the must-attend event for everyone in the new homes sector to come together, collaborate, and share insights, to ensure we can build better, more sustainable homes at scale. This year’s conference aligns with The Labour Party's manifesto to build 1.5 million new homes in the next five years, setting a new standard of excellence. Achieving this ambitious goal will require collaboration among homebuilders, central and local governments, social housing providers, and the supply chain. 2025 is a pivotal year for the sector, with significant developments expected around the Future Homes Standard, embodied carbon, and water efficiency strategies. Triton Showers has been a family fixture in Britain’s bathrooms since 1975 and today holds 54% of the UK's electric showers market. Triton was recently presented with a King’s Award for Enterprise, recognising the brand’s commitment to sustainable development and its integration of sustainability into its long-term business strategy and net-zero goals. Triton Showers is one of the select companies exhibiting at the conference, alongside Ai DASH, Daikin Europe, Environment Bank, Greenbelt, GTC/Passiv UK, VELUX, wienerberger, H+H, the Mineral Products Association, and UPOWA. Last year’s inaugural event featured incredible guest speakers, including David Thomas, Chief Executive at Barratt Developments, and Deborah Meaden, Business Leader and host of the Big Green Money Show podcast. This year brings another great line-up, including Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, and Trudie McCormick, Group Technical Development Director of Keepmoat. Can’t wait! Looking forward to seeing you there! To find out more please visit https://lnkd.in/ehyFSbVu Sponsors include Homes England, Lloyds Banking Group and NHBC. #FutureHomesConference #SustainableHousing #NetZero #BuildingBetterHomes #UKHousing #AffordableHousing #HomeBuilding #Sustainability #EmbodiedCarbon #Showers #WaterEfficiency #WaterConservation #WaterReduction #SustainableConstruction #Decarbonisation #Electrification 

RETROFIT is the hot topic on everyone's lips - especially with decarbonisation and the new social housing laws coming into play regarding mould and damp remediation. Don't Miss this Event! Liverpool City Region Retrofit Summit: Join us over 3 mornings, 12-14 March Join the 4th Liverpool City Region Retrofit Summit for 3 mornings of online presentations, discussions, and networking. Explore key themes to scale up retrofit across the city's 720,000 homes. Hear local leaders' vision and how you can contribute. Why attend? Learn how city, housing providers, and businesses can collaborate to improve building performance, reduce energy use, and support residents. Discover your role in enabling retrofit at scale. Share your expertise, ask questions, and co-create solutions with peers. Three themed mornings explore: • Communicating and capturing retrofit benefits • Delivering retrofit measures effectively • Enabling bold retrofit scale-up Free online event! Join us online from 8:45 AM to 12:00 PM on March 12th, 13th, and 14th. Drop-in sessions curated for housing providers, local authority staff, installers, and all those working in low carbon housing. Register now! Learn more and secure your 🆓 spot: https://lnkd.in/eWwHahfq Providing decarbonisation technical expertise along with us are event partners VENTI Group Ltd @NextEnergyUK @Polypipe @BritishGypsum @IsoverUK @TheRetrofitHub #AllForRetrofit #LowCarbonHomes #fuelpoverty #decarbonisation #heating #gas #domesticretrofit #Liverpool #insulation #netzero2040 #energyefficiency #energycrisissolution #energycrisis #warmerhomes #sustainablewarmth #socialhousing

We're excited to announce our new project focusing on countering heat risks at the hyperlocal level in 9 pilot areas across NL, BE, FR & LU. Working with local stakeholders, we'll be greening over 30,000 m2 in public spaces to increase urban cooling interventions and improve liveability. Stay tuned for updates on how we're tackling heat stress and boosting community resilience! Our project is all about creating Cool Neighbourhoods in NWE's densely populated territories. By developing training modules and action plans with local stakeholders, we aim to mitigate heat stress, improve liveability, and enhance community resilience. Follow along as we work to make our neighbourhoods healthier, more sustainable, and more enjoyable for residents of all ages. Follow us in our efforts to combat heat islands and heat risks in cities across North West Europe! The Cool Neighbourhoods project is supported by the European Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) program. All projectpartners: - Municipality Gemeente Middelburg, Nederland (NL), Leadpartner - Except Integrated Sustainability, Nederland (NL)  - Sioen Industries/ Greentexx Belgique/België - Provincie Antwerpen, Belgique/België (BE) - Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgique/België (BE) - PRO-SUD, Luxembourg (LU) - Wimereux City Council, France (FR) - Pays of Saint-Omer Agglomeration Council, France (FR) Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer  - CITY OF SAINT-OMER, France (FR) - HZ University of Applied Sciences, Nederland (NL)  - City of Ettelbruck, Luxembourg (LU)  - Municipality Gemeente Goes, Nederland (NL) Goes   Stay tuned for updates! #CoolNeighbourhoods #UrbanCooling #CommunityResilience #interregNWE

🏢 Urban Heat Islands, also known as UHIs, are one of the significant challenges Vienna faces. These are densely built-up areas in cities that are considerably warmer than surrounding areas due to human activities. A clear example of the effect UHIs have are the tropical nights we experienced this summer in Vienna, where temperatures stayed above 25°C during the night in the Inner City. 🌡 Several factors contribute to UHIs, including reduced vegetation, intense human activities, and the city's urban geometry. To tackle this, the City of Vienna , within the MA22 developed the UHI Strategy focusing on mitigating the effects of these heat islands. However, more innovative business solutions are needed! Do you have a business idea to combat Urban Heat Islands? Submit it to Re:Wien before the deadline— You have only one week left to submit it! https://bit.ly/ReWien2024 Struggling to come up with a solution? One example is green roofs, like those created by Plantika - Green Roofs GmbH, which are designed to be easily installed even on Vienna’s inclined rooftops. Plantika’s founder Mathieu L. participated in Re:Wien —a program shaping Vienna’s future, organized by OekoBusiness Wien and Impact Hub Vienna. Apply now to help Shape Vienna's Future! https://bit.ly/ReWien2024

I’m Caught for Analysis. Walking the streets of Glasgow, I was happily caught as a specimen for an analysis of my thinking of the city. Actually, as I walk through Glasgow it is full of artistic and inspirational murals such as this one that spark imagination, bring a smile, and stir the heart and mind. To me Glasgow always feels like home. The vibrancy, friendliness, style, compassion, diversity, beauty, and creativity always draw me in. From my earliest memories as a child, the city and people were always central in our home and in my heart. It was ten years ago that The Glasgow City Region City Deal started. This £1.13 billion agreement between the UK Government, The Scottish Government and eight local authorities has revitalized Glasgow and the surrounding city region. The City Deal has been a pivotal investment and is being well managed. A performance report this week showed that of the £1.13 billion, £495 million has been spent to date on infrastructure improvements and business and employment programmes. These initiatives have been life changing and will continue to be so. This autumn one of the largest opening footbridges in Europe will open in Glasgow. The Govan-Partick Bridge was part of the City Deal and will carry pedestrians and bicycles between Govan south of the river and Partick to the north. The bridge is well designed and will provide practical and measurable benefits. It is also full of symbolic meaning - a bridge representing the genuine value of collaboration - a path that connects the past to the future. Is Glasgow without challenges? Like any other large global city, it has a share of difficulties. But there is something special here. Come and visit this place - engage with it - the people, culture, economy, and higher education. You will not be disappointed. To my last days, when asked what city and place brings me joy and motivation, I will say with pride and without hesitation, Glasgow! Iain Macfarlane Kevin Rush Nicola Gray Richard Bell Richard Muir Dr Paul Little CBE Anne McTaggart Paola Pasino Alex Harvie Julie Pearson Susan Deighan Susan Aitken Ronald Leitch John Primrose Jacqueline Mclaren Neil Owen Joseph Shah George Tah Glasgow City Region East Renfrewshire Council Glasgow City Council Glasgow Chamber of Commerce VisitScotland Scottish Enterprise Scottish Cities Alliance Glasgow Life GlobalScot #scotlandisnow #glasgowiswow

As winter's grip on us loosens and we head into spring, we can reflect on how much time (up to 90%) we spend indoors and what that means for our well-being. According to our Healthy Homes Barometer, a third of Danes suffer from poor indoor climate. Excessive moisture, dust, noise, cold, and a lack of daylight are not just uncomfortable; they impact our health. And it is high time we address this.   This spring is a pivotal moment for Denmark's housing sector, with key policy negotiations underway. An obvious item for discussion is the adherence to new EU directives for energy efficiency. The talks also provide an opportunity to rethink the overall approach to housing and the possibility to transform Danish homes into examples of how living spaces can be both energy efficient and conducive to good health.   Viable solutions exist and have been successfully implemented, as seen with the Living Places concept, which proved it’s possible to build houses with 3 times lower carbon footprint emissions than an average Danish single-family house and with first-class indoor climates too.   VELUX and SYNERGI urge that the upcoming negotiations also include discussions about establishing new building standards that encompass sustainability and quality of life improvements.   Read today’s Børsen (in Danish) for more thoughts on this from Tina Mayn, VELUX EVP and Bendt Bendtsen, SYNERGI chairman. #HealthyIndoors #EnergyEfficiency #DanishHomes #Change #EPDB

“The world is getting rougher! We need to innovate. Our future needs resilience and innovation.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Singh Intrachooto, Chief Sustainnovation Officer at the Research & Innovation for Sustainability Center (RISC by MQDC), expressed his views during the keynote session, Building Tomorrow: A Resilience Framework for Urban Futures, at Reviving Earth Pulse – Now or Never by FutureTales LAB by MQDC. The shocked world leads to the sick society, resulting in shock and stress. Munich Re, a global insurance company, found that natural disasters from 1980 to 2019 have become more severe and frequent. It is predicted that in 2024, there could be up to 1,000 climate disaster events worldwide, potentially affecting the gross domestic product of Thailand by up to 40%. This highlights the need for the adoption of resilience. The Research & Innovation for Sustainability Center (RISC by MQDC) has therefore created a framework in the form of a toolkit for city developers to understand resilience in the context of Thailand. This framework covers 3 content groups, 10 topics for consideration, and 44 checklists, allowing city developers to prepare for risk mitigation and manage adaptation for future uncertainties, tailored to each project area. This enables efficient management strategies and may also provide opportunities to invest in necessary but currently underutilized innovations in the market. The Forestias by MQDC is an example city-scale project of the application of knowledge and innovation for sustainability, Sustainnovation, at the city level through design, management, and the use of innovative technology. Examples include the use of Fahsai - urban air purifier, the use of wood in building structures for carbon pollution management, and the development of construction materials from waste materials, such as tiles made from eggshells. It emphasizes that building future-ready cities means for resilience. Free open data access Urban Hazard Studio for disaster prediction: UrbanHazardStudio.com How to use Urban Hazard Studio: https://lnkd.in/gBsr8KtX Want to learn more about us, click www.futuretaleslab.com and https://lnkd.in/d29iA8BW #ReviveEarthsPulse #FutureTalesLab #Sustainability #ClimateAction

Could Urban Greening be a key solution to the UAE’s Sustainability goals? 🌳 In Abu Dhabi and Dubai, summer temperatures can reach 50 Degrees! Trees to the rescue. Increasing tree cover to 30% can reduce the urban heat island effect by as much as 12 degrees. Creating Cooler, healthier Cities reduces the need for AC, reduces the UAE’s energy consumption, and supports Net-Zero goals. #sustainability #behavioralscience #climateaction #systemsthinking #SustainableCities

Please share ☔️🍃 ... Festival of Place: Climate Resilience is taking place this coming Monday 25 - Tuesday 26 November. Thanks to our members and supporters, we are able to keep this important learning event accessible to everyone. If you are a charity, student, community group, or need support for any other reason - the link to apply is for a free or discounted ticket is here: https://bit.ly/4fXfCyA This event will help you: * Evaluate the case for retrofit. You’ll learn about how energy suppliers are disrupting the market with initiatives such as Octopus Energy’s Zero Bills homes and find out what researchers have learned from studying the building performance of decade-old retrofit housing projects *Deliver flood resilience alongside biodiversity and transport improvements. You’ll learn from case studies, including Glasgow’s The Avenues, how to adopt a win-win strategy and deliver on targets for health, air quality, biodiversity, water quality, green space and pedestrian/cycling improvements on complex urban sites  * Future proof and de-risk your places: Fresh thinking on how to create resilient places and make a positive environmental and social impact in the context of climate change. Understand the risks to thriving places and gather solutions and inspiration to fuel better strategic decision-making. * Gain valuable CPD hours: The sessions will count towards formal or informal CPD hours and meet criteria that requires content on the topics of climate, sustainability, resilience, and environmental and biodiversity net gain; flooding; sustainable architecture; places, planning and communities, and more, depending on your accreditation. With special thanks to Civic Engineers for supporting Festival of Place: Climate Resilience 2024 James MacLeod Christine Murray #ClimateResilience #Sustainability #UrbanPlanning #FloodResilience #BuildingRetrofit

Very pertinent points here by Caz Facey in considering the Tideway Tunnel and it’s wider impact on London ‘Perhaps its most important mission is to allow us to reconnect with the river. Spiritually, physically and literally — the new river park at Victoria Embankment allows the water to lap visitors’ feet at high tide. Our personal reconnection with nature will also be crucial for London’s climate resilience. We flush away as much water in a day as we drink in a whole month’ ‘In the face of rising temperatures, we are going to have to embrace nature in all its unruliness. I recently visited a climate action campus in Berlin where low-flush loos separate waste for use as soil fertiliser, and in Helsinki the city is considering no-flush lavatories in its parks. The concept of “sponge cities” is less drastic: green roofs on buildings, the planting of front gardens and urban wetlands all slow down the flow of rainwater. London will need to seriously think about water in the next 10 years.’ Time to think again before paving over that garden ? https://bit.ly/3K8TJhO