Accelerate to Zero

Welcome back to the Accelerate to Zero podcast, where Sara Edmonds and Rob Morrison were joined by Joanna Yarrow live from the BE-ST Fest Summit at Paisley Town Hall. Joanna Yarrow was one of the keynotes of the conference and is an internationally acclaimed expert in sustainable living and a highly respected voice in sustainable business. In this episode she shares insight into her personal journ...

In this episode of the podcast, Sara alongside Ellora Coupe and Cara Holmes are discussing how to the drive uptake of retrofit across the UK. Together they explore how we can move beyond the technical jargon and connect with people on a more emotional level. Retrofitting isn't just about cutting energy bills, but improving the comfort and future-proofing of our homes.

This week Sara welcomes Helene Gosden, Associate Director at Arup, Donal Brown, Director of UK Programs at Ashden Climate Solutions, and Josiah Lockhart, Chief Executive Officer, Changeworks. From the future of retrofit finance to the importance of aligning stakeholders, this conversation provides a rich insight into how retrofit can transform our homes, improve lives, and tackle climate challenge...

In this episode of Accelerate Zero, co-host Rachel Owens, alongside industry experts Gemma, Rob, and Cara, dives deep into the financial challenges and innovative solutions surrounding the retrofit of our homes and communities. With retrofit finance often cited as a major barrier to scaling sustainable practices, this episode explores the existing financial products and the need for better coordin...

In this episode of the Accelerate to Zero podcast, we dive into the topic of retrofit skills with Douglas Morrison, Deputy CEO of Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BEST), and Pippa Palmer, Founder of Polln and Co-chair of the National Retrofit Hub's Working Group 3. Together, they explore the challenges and opportunities in preparing the workforce for the massive task of retrofitting the...

Our collaboration with the National Retrofit Hub continues and this week Rachel Owens is joined by Kaye Keenen, BE-ST and Megan Adlen, Travis Perkins. In this episode, we chat about supply chain products and solutions.

The Accelerate to Zero podcast is back with a new series hosted in collaboration with the National Retrofit Hub. In the first episode, Caitriona Jordan (BE-ST) & Rachael Owens (NRH) discuss what it looks like when you put citizens at the heart of data decision-making in retrofit with Lizzy Westmacott, ECD Architects and Louis Daillencourt, Novoville.

In the final episode of this season of the Accelerate to Zero podcast on equality, diversity and inclusion, Heads of Stakeholder Engagement, Kirsty Duncan and Danielle Miller, speak to BE-ST's new board chair Nicola Barclay, about her career, challenges she's faced, and her perspective on diversity, leadership and the changing landscape of the built environment.

In Scotland, 10.5% of workers within the construction sector are disabled. Today we are joined by Martin Griffin, Principal Geotechnical Engineer at GHD and award winning ED&I champion and advocate who leads a national neurodiversity network. Martin is neurodivergent, autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic and visually impaired. Martin's recommended reading: Neurodiversity at Work. (2021) Amanda Kirby...

Aurora Tallon, Chair of Women Property for Central Scotland and Senior Architect at BakerHicks joins the Accelerate to Zero podcast this week to discuss various equality, diversity and inclusion issues including maternity and paternity leave, language barriers and the benefits of a diverse workforce.

Today we are taking a deeper dive into neurodiversity in the workplace. In August 2023 research from the National Federation of Builders reported that almost 40% of neurodivergent people working in construction have not told their employer about their condition. In this week's episode, we are joined by Richard Gwilt, Digital Construction Manager at Kier Group. Since being diagnosed later in life w...

This week's guests are Pheona and Micheal Matovu, Founders of Radiant and Brighter. They know first-hand some of the challenges ethnic minorities experience in the UK. They themselves faced unemployment after migrating to the UK due to the lack of support available to them. Together they founded Radiant and Brighter to turn their focus towards training organisations and individuals to help provide...

The Accelerate to Zero Podcast this week with a series focused on equality, diversity and inclusion within the built environment hosted by Kirsty Duncan Heads of Stakeholder Engagement at BE-ST. Our first guest is Emily Carr, design manager at Kier Construction North & Scotland, and former vice-chair of Built Environment – Smarter Transformation’s BE Change Makers. Emily is an advocate for pro...

We wrap up our digitally focussed series of the podcast by delving into the world of artificial intelligence with Eric Duffy, Senior Director of Business Development, Tenstorrent. Tenstorrent is a next-generation computing company that builds computers for AI. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with U.S. offices in Austin, Texas, and Silicon Valley, and global offices in Belgrade and Bangalore, Ten...

This week we are joined by Prof. Andrew Sherlock, Director of Data-Driven Manufacturing from National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. Andrew is an engineer to trade, but has been working in AI, engineering and manufacturing throughout his career. He's interested in how we apply machine learning, AI and general data techniques to solve problems within engineering and manufacturing. Learn more abo...

Join us this week to hear about all things data capture from Gary Kelly and Steven Duffy from Leica Geosystems. Leica Geosystems has been revolutionising the world of measurement and survey for 200 years. With precise and accurate instruments, sophisticated software, and trusted services, Leica Geosystems delivers value every day to those shaping the future of our world.

Listen in this week to hear from Mark Baxter Technical Director and Co-Founder at Digitalnauts. Digitalnauts make immersive technologies accessible to businesses and organisations by supporting and creating immersive experiences for deployment at scale. In the age of digital transformation, they believe immersive technologies can advance the future of work and learning. Find out more: https://www....

This week Matthew Paton is joined by Sebastian Andraos, CEO & Founder, HAL Robotics. Sebastian comes from an architectural background before moving into the world of robotics in 2013, where he aims to facilitate the adoption of digital automation within the construction, design and craft industries. Find out more about HAL Robotics.

This week sees an exciting live version of the Accelerate to Zero podcast recorded live at BE-ST Fest 2023. Special guests Erik Archer, Associate Director at IES LTD and Thomas Milton, Senior Operations Consultant at IES recorded a fireside chat to cover everything you need to know about Digital Twins, including "what is a digital twin?", "why should I be interested in this technology?", "what ben...

This week Sara speaks to Marina Topouzi from CREDS – the Centre for Research in Energy Demand Solutions. Marina shared the work that she and the team there are progressing on the Retrofit Salary Sacrifice scheme. This stands to be a really impactful way of incentivising retrofit and opening up all sorts of other related opportunities. We know that scaling retrofit will require manifold ways of app...

This week we're taking a quick break from the normal programming to give you a slice of the excitement to happen at the International Retrofit Conference: a not-to-be-missed retrofit event on 2nd November. Sara spoke to Caitriona Jordan, Head of Retrofit Programmes at BE-ST and Rachael Owens, Sara’s co-director at the National Retrofit Hub, as Sara holds that role as well as Head of Citizen Engage...

This week we spoke to Mike Teall and Sophie Leang from Snugg. Snugg is a digital platform to allow users to work out how their home is performing and what they can do next. Now, we are seeing more platforms like this emerge, but we at BE-ST are interested at getting under the surface to see how they differ, where’s the nuance, and most importantly, what are we learning about making this journey ea...

Reinier, an experienced Environmental Engineer, and Kirsty, a seasoned Property and Tech entrepreneur, came together to found  Kuppa . Over a cup of tea, they came up with the seed idea for a technology platform which could take the confusion out of the home energy transition and demystify decarbonisation. We talked about humanising data, but also being aware of the potential for action within und...

Intuitive technology? Easy to use? Might just take the sting out of retrofit? Tell us more! This week Sara speaks to Louis Daillencourt from Novoville, the people behind Shared Repairs  and Shared Works (soon to come!). The app allows you to report issues to owners, get quotes from Trusted Traders, take a vote, and open a digital payment account. Seeing the success with the Shared Repairs app to h...

This week we're back with a brand new episode of the Accelerate to Zero Podcast featuring Dr Ehab Sayed, Founder of  BIOHM . The episode focuses on the power of mycelium - the vegetative filament root structure of mushrooms and BIOHM's R&D journey so far. Listeners will learn how mycelium is foraged, developed, cured and how it can be made into a sustainable insulation alternative.