UK Tourism Statistics 2013

Posted on: 22 March 2013
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The Tourism Alliance has launched its new 2013 Tourism Statistics Review, which shows that total tourism revenue increased by £9bn (6.9%) to £134bn in 2012. This was sufficient to generate 180,000 new jobs.

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The agenda for 300,000 new jobs: A mid-term report

Posted on: 22 March 2013
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This is the second of the British Hospitality Association’s biannual reports, providing an evidence-based proposition for partnership between one of Britain’s greatest industries for job creation, hospitality, and the policy makers who can make or break the agenda for 300,000 new British jobs.

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Global Construction Review

Posted on: 22 March 2013
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The Chartered Institute of Building has launched a website, updated several times a week, with the latest news for the international construction community, including corporate news, technical coverage, and updates on market sector. A weekly email newsletter highlights the essential articles of the week. To receive it in their inbox, readers can enter their email address at the site.

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Martitime ports freight and passenger statistics

Posted on: 22 March 2013
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This article analyses the latest statistical data on freight handling and passenger traffic in ports in the European Union.

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Analysing opportunities and threats for low-income countries, and the business case for low carbon investment

Posted on: 22 March 2013
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This report we presents emerging Overseas Development Institute  research findings showcasing examples of firms in low income countries at the forefront of green production and low carbon competitiveness, and examines the key opportunities and challenges arising in the energy, manufacturing, tourism and forestry sectors. The report also discusses how policymakers and donors can support these private sector efforts in ways that will underpin low carbon growth.

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Sustainable development goals for people and planet

Posted on: 22 March 2013
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The United Nations Rio+20 summit in Brazil in 2012 committed governments to create a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) that would be integrated into the follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) after their 2015 deadline. The authors of this article, published in Nature, argue that the protection of the earth’s life-support system and poverty reduction must be the twin priorities for SDGs. It is not enough simply to extend MDGs, as some are suggesting, because humans are transforming the planet in ways that could undermine development gains.

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Embedding climate change resilience in coastal city planning: Early lessons from Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

Posted on: 22 March 2013
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Cartagena is the first coastal city in South America to produce its ‘Guidelines for Adaptation to Climate Change’, which assess the city’s vulnerabilities and identify adaptation options that will support socioeconomic development. These guidelines lay the foundation for forthcoming municipal plans, including a full climate change adaptation plan and zoning policies. With the release of its adaptation guidelines, the Colombian coastal city of Cartagena has taken the first step towards managing sea level rise, extreme weather, flooding, health and disease resulting from a changing climate. This report’s vulnerability assessment is the most comprehensive of its kind yet developed in Colombia.

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Community Programme for Neighbourhood Improvement in Mexico City

Posted on: 21 March 2013
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In 2007, the Government of Mexico City put in motion the Community Programme for Neighbourhood Improvement (PCMB), the purpose of which was to carry out small-scale urban interventions throughout the city, through a highly participatory process that could reverse the process of deterioration of the urban infrastructure in many colonias, communities and neighbourhoods, and which could help to counteract processes of socio-spatial segregation. The 2012 International Study Visit organised in Mexico by the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF), represented an opportunity for the PCMB to examine its design, implementation and its results, with a view to enriching its operations with inputs from experts from academia, government and international civil society. Based on the international experiences presented, efforts were made to establish the necessary areas of work to convert the PCMB into public policy for Mexico City, whilst identifying its strengths, weaknesses and challenges ahead. The international study visit also sought to explore the possibility of sharing and transferring the PCMB experience to other countries, where through a constant flow of information, along with in-person and virtual meetings, we will be able to develop and take forward this difficult task of improving our surroundings together with the people. A report presenting the outcomes of this study visit, the key features of the project and highlighting key learning points and reflections is available online along with additional relevant resources.

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European nearly-zero energy buildings

Posted on: 21 March 2013
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The British Social Housing Foundation is involved in a three- year project which is currently being funded by the EU’s Intelligent Energy Programme. This is entitled the nearly-Zero Energy Challenge and will build capacity and confidence amongst Europe’s social, cooperative and public housing providers ahead of the nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) obligations to be introduced in 2020, which will require that all new buildings should be nearly-Zero in terms of their energy consumption, with any energy required sourced from renewable supplies. In partnership with CECODHAS Housing Europe, BSHF has recently published a progress report on the “Fair Energy Transition towards nearly-Zero Energy Buildings”.  Social, cooperative and public housing providers in Europe currently own and manage over 27 million homes (12 per cent of the total housing stock), many of which needs significant improvement to increase its energy efficiency.  The progress report presents the current developments towards nZEB in Europe, as well as the barriers faced. The report also provides recommendations for action that could be implemented to ease the transition to nearly-zero energy homes, with a variety of best policy and practice examples emerging throughout Europe that are dealing with different aspects of delivering a fair energy transition. The report was presented at the World Sustainable Energy Days conference in Wels, Austria on 1st March 2013. This report is available here  and a copy of the presentation made at this event can be viewed online.

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Planning application for Passive homes in Havering

Posted on: 20 March 2013
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A new partnership between Circle Housing Group and Climate Energy Homes is to lead to the creation of a new 51-home Passive House compliant development in the London Borough of Havering. The development designed by Maccreanor Lavington Architects comprises 51 Passive houses and apartments together with amenity space, car and cycle parking, landscaping, pumping station and associated works. The scheme pioneers the provision of 51 affordable Passive homes as one of the largest Passive House projects in the UK and Europe. This is the report to Havering’s Regulatory Services Committee on 21 February 2013.

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