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Verco's research into carbon offsetting and reduction for international aviation

From 2016 to 2018, Verco were commissioned under the FCO’s Global Britain Fund with the British Embassy in Russia to provide policy advice and evaluation for the Russian Federation. Over three years, we delivered research and advice for the Ministry for Economic Development and Ministry for Natural Resources on international best practice examples of carbon regulation, carbon pricing and energy efficiency policy including the UK. As a business, Verco has been involved with policy projects at the highest international levels since the 1990s - we were one of the founders of the UK Emissions Trading scheme in 1999 - and we continue to help shape the structure of today’s international regulatory landscape. Read more

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First European industry project certified by the Investor Confidence Project

Austrian community catering supplier GOURMET leads the way in energy efficiency with the first European industry project certified by the Investor Confidence Project.The Investor Confidence Project’s innovative Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ Certification has been awarded to a waste heat utilisation project at GMS GOURMET GmbH. The project saves natural gas and electricity by using the waste heat of two fast cooling plants to support the heating demand of three ventilation systems at GOURMET’s production site in Vienna. Read more

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Verco has rebranded!

As Verco moves into its 30th year as a leading energy management and sustainability business, we felt it was an appropriate time to update our brand, to be more in line with our vision and goals for the future. Read more

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Join our ESOS webinar: An introduction to ESOS and what you need to do

This webinar will be held exactly 1 year before all companies that qualify for ESOS must have completed their assessments and notified the Environment Agency of their compliance. Given the timescales for carrying out an assessment and the potential lack of Lead Assessors, now is time to ensure your ESOS compliance plans are in place. Read more

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Act now! IHRS Government funding

The Industrial Heat Recovery Support (IHRS) programme has now been launched. The programme will provide matched funding for feasibility studies and the capital cost of implementing industrial heat recovery projects in England and Wales. Industries with significant heating and/ or cooling processes are likely to be good candidates for funding. Read more

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Investor Confidence Project for Industry, Energy Supply and Street Lighting: new training sessions and free technical support

The ICP Europe Technical Team is soon to commence its fourth round of training for future Project Developers and Quality Assurance Assessors looking to join ENGIE, E.ON, Veolia and other companies in being recognised as energy efficiency market leaders and make use of our recently launched protocols for both ‘Industry and Energy Supply’ and ‘Street Lighting’ projects. Verco is UK advocate for the Investor Confidence Project (ICP) Europe, and is leading the technical development of the ICP tools across Europe. Read more

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The commercial value of an optimised building

There is growing acknowledgement that value of an energy efficient building goes beyond the cost of the energy saved, with particular attention paid to health and well-being and the consequences on productivity. But even that is far from the full extent of the potential value. Read more

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Seven Design for Performance Pioneers are announced

For many years, Verco has been aware of the energy performance gap for buildings and advocated to our clients and to policy makers the need to assess the energy performance of non-domestic buildings by measurement, rather than rely on design-based efficiency metrics like EPCs….. Read more

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Final warning: Why half a degree means a world of difference

After a gruelling three years of research, review and negotiation, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has finally issued its special report on the impact of 1.5°C global warming above pre-industrial levels. For those tracking global efforts to curb GHG emissions this is a watershed moment and a severe reminder of the pace at which our climate is changing. It concludes that there is simply no more time for delays in drastically cutting global carbon emissions if we wish to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Read more

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Avoid these five ESOS mistakes

The Environment Agency (EA) published statistics from its programme of over 200 ESOS period 1 compliance audits: Only 16% of ESOS audits were fully compliant. In 75% of cases, remedial actions were required and 5% were deemed ‘non-compliant’. Read more

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Energy saving in your business can start right away!

Up to 25% of energy wastage can be prevented by making energy use a focus in day-to-day operations. Verco facilitates this by drawing on our suite of tried and tested activities and tools to engage your teams and provide any necessary training. Our structured 'Focus on Energy' programme requires less investment than alternative solutions and delivers a 5-10% utility cost reduction. Engagement and empowerment of your staff can mean that there are continuous and sustained improvements in energy use across the business. Read more

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The science behind Science Based Target Setting

Almost 400 companies from across the world are now committed to setting evidence-based corporate carbon targets. The Science Based Target Initiative (SBTI) – a collaborative project between the CDP, UN, WRI and WWF - has recruited dozens of global giants from many economic sectors to the ‘Call To Action’, including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Walmart (1). As investor interest in climate risk is increasing, the ability to demonstrate emissions reduction in line with the latest climate science is becoming the new ‘normal’. Read more

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SECR: evolution not revolution

The government has released its response to the consultation on streamlined energy and carbon reporting (SECR), and, as expected, is proposing that reporting will become mandatory throughout the UK. The purpose of the consultation was to recommend an appropriate framework for mandatory energy and carbon reporting in light of the winding up of CRC next year. Read more

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Strategies for Corporate Renewable Energy Procurement

Many companies are seeking to increase their use of renewable energy (RE). The aims are typically to reduce carbon emissions, hedge energy prices and respond to CSR drivers. High profile initiatives such as the RE100, a global collaborative initiative requiring businesses to commit to using 100% renewable electricity, are helping to accelerate the trend. Read more