Sarah and the University team provided a couple of thoughtful presentations about Sustainability in Construction to the new BPART (Building Plymouth Apprentices and Rising Talent) group at the Sustainability Hub and new CobBauge building at the University of Plymouth. This was one of the monthly events that have been organised for this group to cover a multitude of topics affecting the construction industry .that the next generation will be dealing with in their future careers and has been really well received.

FP2030 has been invited to be a member of the steering group of the new Net Zero Exchange at the University of Plymouth to represent Construction and the Built Environment and attended the inaugural meeting of this group on 28th September to hear more about this exciting new project and shared ideas for events and the programme for this initiative across the Great South West over the next two years which we will all be helping to shape.

On 26th Sept Sarah met with Councillor Tom Briars Delve in the morning as part of the regular Climate Ambassadors catch ups with the City leaders and then in the afternoon Ash Goddard provided an informative and thought provoking workshop about the Climate Emergency and how the construction industry affects the climate and should address this by changing how it operates - a good varied audience attended!

GCAP has been set up to regularly meet to discuss the issues of adapting to climate change and the climate emergency in the construction industry, identifying different jobs that are emerging from this crisis, and training and funding required to ensure that we have the right people for the right jobs across the South West. There was a regular quarterly meeting hosted by Exeter College on 25th September which FP2030 attended to listen in.

On 23rd September 2023 Sarah represented FP2030 at a day event at the University of Plymouth organised by students and for the students to discuss and raise awareness of Climate Change and the Emergency, and different initiatives in the City that have been set up in response to this.

FP2030 represents the Built Environment in Plymouth on the Plymouth Net Zero Partnership and as such attends quarterly meetings to discuss what’s happening in the city. On 11th August the meeting was held at Marjons where the Head of Estates was very proud to show us the University’s solar array and impressive Ground Source Heat Pump.

We had a lively debate on 5th July about some of the variety of improved building standards that are available for us to promote, use and choose from with inspired clients and developers to help try to ‘raise the bar’ (and reduce the carbon) of construction whilst the government still does not mandate this! The discussion also wandered to include the statutory levers of Planning Approval and Building Regulations Consent and how Local Authorities could use these to do more and help to simplify the processes - there were some passionate opinions in the room and lots of enthusiasm!

Over 100 primary school children a day from around Plymouth went to the Box for the week of 26th June to learn about all the various career opportunities in the construction industry. This brilliant project began last year as the brain child of Emma Hewitt from Building Plymouth, and assisted by a group of construction enthusiasts including Sarah, this project became a reality! Sarah leads the Design and Sustainability workshop teaching the children about the roles of architects, engineers, the climate emergency and sustainability in construction!

Sarah attended the new 3 day conference about Sustainability in construction and the built environment up in Brighton 6-8th June to learn more about what is being done to tackle this issue across the country and to network with like-minded people! It was a very busy and intensive few days of learning and sharing!

Eat Work Art kindly provided a visit, talk and tour of the Alma Yard development which is imaginatively and creatively bringing a disused and unloved former rope yard to the maritime industry from the 1800s back into use as a vibrant hub for Plymouth’s creatives - a classic example of successful historic building reuse.

Sarah was invited to attended a Volunteer Celebration evening hosted at the NMA in Plymouth in association with the Kings Big Help Out initiative following his recent Coronation. It was a lovely evening put on to bring together volunteers of all sectors across Plymouth and Sarah was invited especially in recognition of the work undertaken with Future Plymouth 2030 and in being a Climate Ambassador and Advisor for Plymouth City Council.

Sarah was invited to speak at GCAP’s quarterly meeting to explain to a new Exeter based audience about the good work being done by FP2030 to discuss and demystify sustainability challenges and opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in construction and the built environment down in Plymouth! A well received presentation!

We had a successful visit to hear about this exciting major building reuse project at the University of Plymouth, kindly hosted by BAM construction and also attended by sustainability superstar architects Feilden Clegg Bradley to explain methods being used for this project - thank you all!

Hattie Thompson from Hoare Lea’s Plymouth office joined us as the UK Green Building council SW representative to discuss their definition of ‘Net Zero Carbon’ and how we can strive to achieve it! A well attended pan professional event hosted by Foot Anstey!

Sarah represented Future Plymouth 2030 at the Low Carbon Devon ‘Next Steps’ event at the University of Plymouth to highlight collaboration opportunities as the LCD project reaches the end of it’s ERDF funded period

Sarah’s contributory essay about carbon reduction in construction and the built environment was published in the ‘Net Zero Visions’ book edited by David Sergeant and Emma Whittaker at the University of Plymouth which was the result of a series of workshops with Devon communities held throughout 2021/2022

A large Future Plymouth 2030 group visit the low carbon CobBauge research project building at the University of Plymouth with the Low Carbon Devon team as it reaches completion… looking good!

2nd Future Plymouth 2030 Brainstorming session for local construction industry professionals with Plymouth City Council Planning team was held to discuss the new Climate connections website, Net Zero Action Plan (NZAP) and Plymouth and South West Devon Climate Emergency Planning Policy

New Climate Connections Plymouth website was launched which Future Plymouth 2030 is featured on. This website is designed to be one common point of reference for Plymouth’s net zero mission. It’s a place where everyone can share knowledge, activities and experiences around their net zero journey.

Future Plymouth 2030 visited the COAST laboratory at the University of Plymouth to learn about the testing and developing of wave and wind renewable energy generating technologies. One of the largest tank test facilities in the UK which others travel from all over the UK to use!