UK property development and urban regeneration continues apace and, combined with the need for two million new homes over the next decade, demand for energy will continue to increase, with a resultant increase in carbon dioxide emissions.

Government policy and regulation is already encouraging property developers, local authorities and regeneration specialists to consider the energy and carbon implications of their projects, in an attempt to decouple economic growth from energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The EU continues to introduce policy to tighten existing UK regulations, influencing both building regulations and planning policy. The future of property development, regeneration and management must be synonymous with a low carbon future.

ESD has wide experience of successfully delivering sustainable built environment projects from inception to completion. Our skills range from strategy, planning and finance to technical design, engineering and procurement. Our staff have many years experience of constructing project teams and carefully defining successful project development strategies. It is this rounded skill base that is key to our success and makes us a valuable component in the professional team.

We see the recent shift in national and regional energy strategy as an exciting challenge and opportunity. We aim to help our clients unlock the benefits afforded by these changes through innovative technical solutions, the levering of public funding, the creation of partnerships with private sector investors and utilities, and investment risk mitigation through the implementation of sustainable energy measures in line with future government and European legislation.

In recent years we have found a particular role in helping teams to implement sustainable energy within major building developments. Regeneration projects, in particular, create enormous opportunities for simultaneous social, economic and environmental improvements, yet their complexity poses enormous challenges for the project team. Within this context, it is essential that developers and their project partners - housing associations, local authorities and regeneration agencies - understand the options available to them and are effectively advised as to the best procurement strategy, the most appropriate funding route and the most suitable technologies and partners.