#WindPower is one of Europe’s largest clean energy sources, and last year even overtook natural gas as a source of electricity generation across the EU!
But, do you have your facts straight on wind energy?
✅ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 – Wind power combats emissions, and at least 85% of a wind turbine’s components can be recycled.
✅ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 – Onshore wind now costs less than half as much as coal.
✅ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 – Wind power contributes to lowering emissions and protecting biodiversity.
✅ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 – Wind turbines are quieter than you think, and their noise is even regulated.
✅ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲-𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Turbines don’t use much land, and their surroundings can be used for farming, nature, housing, or other purposes.
To get the whole picture, read our new article, link in bio!
The sustainable construction sector has demonstrated measured progress this week, with multiple projects advancing low carbon design principles and reinforcing a global shift toward environmental sustainability in construction. The UK finalist for the Earthshot Prize has attracted international attention with its “upcycled skyscraper” concept. The project exemplifies how sustainable building design can decarbonise cities by reusing existing structures rather than rebuilding, cutting embodied carbon in materials and reducing the overall carbon footprint of construction. It shows that net zero whole life carbon targets are achievable when adaptive reuse is supported by rigorous whole life carbon assessment. This approach represents a pivot away from demolition-led development and towards truly circular construction strategies.
G F Tomlinson’s completion of the Barnsley College University Centre modernisation delivers a tangible demonstration of sustainable building practices rooted in lifecycle assessment. The retrofit has safeguarded the building’s Art Deco heritage while integrating a low carbon building methodology that promotes energy-efficient buildings and greener infrastructure. By retaining the original structural frame, the project has cut the embodied carbon of construction, proving that low carbon construction materials and renewable building materials have comparable performance to conventional options when guided by life cycle thinking in construction. The work also highlights the significance of BREEAM and emerging standards such as BREEAM v7 in defining measurable sustainability benchmarks.
In Cambridgeshire, work is commencing on the £500 million Medworth Energy from Waste facility, a major investment designed to support a functioning circular economy in construction and energy supply. Through combined heat and power systems, the development will assist future net zero carbon buildings by providing renewable energy outputs while applying whole life carbon methodologies to reduce lifecycle emissions. Although energy-from-waste has detractors, its integration with eco-design for buildings reinforces its potential as part of wider carbon neutral construction strategies that prioritize resource efficiency in construction and whole life cost management.
At the global level, the announcement of the Earthshot Prize finalists underscores that sustainable design and green construction principles now define the benchmark for engineering relevance. With emphasis on embodied carbon reduction and net zero carbon pursuits, these initiatives promote sustainable urban development grounded in measurable environmental product declarations (EPDs) and transparent assessment of the environmental impact of construction. The shift signifies a maturing understanding that building lifecycle performance is fundamental to both commercial resilience and global climate commitments.
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