China to build 8,000 low-cost zero-carbon homes in UK

Howard Chapman, Buildingtalk Editor on how a Chinese building firm is to help build zero-carbon homes in the UK and why London is becoming the world’s climate finance capital.

8,000 low-cost zero-carbon homes 

BusinessGreen reported on Friday that WElink Energy, BSR and CNBM are teaming up with Chinese building firm in a £1.1bn deal to build 8,000 low-cost zero-carbon homes in UK

This is a major boost for the UK’s green housing sector, especially after the government scrapped the zero-carbon homes standard last year.

The low-cost build branded Barcelona Housing Systems (BHS), designed by architects Cesar Martinell & Associates, offers apartment buildings that are zero-carbon, zero-waste and water-efficient.

The developments are kitted with rooftop solar panels, energy storage and waste-to-energy technologies. British Solar Renewables (BSR) has been contracted to install the solar and energy storage technologies for the UK projects.

Barry O’Neill, chief executive of WElink, said the BHS housing solution could be rolled out on a larger scale if demand proves high.

London launches new Green Finance Initiative

BusinessGreen also reported on a new Green Finance Initiative that is helping cement the City of London’s position as climate finance capital and helping us rethink the way housing is financed in order to reduce energy costs and environmental impacts.

The Green Finance Initiative (GFI) will focus on how to mobilize the capital required to implement both the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris climate change agreement.

The unveiling of the new project came as a separate report released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) at the GFI launch event highlighted how the UK is currently a global hub in the emerging green finance market.

UK has evolved a distinctive model of innovation in sustainable finance.

Nick Robins, co-director of the UNEP Inquiry: “It is striking just how many key global initiatives are clustered in London – whether on responsible investment, green bonds, unburnable carbon, sustainable banking, climate disclosure or insurance risk”.