Zero Ambitions Podcast
Zero Ambitions is a consultancy and weekly podcast about sustainability and the built environment.
We find interesting and experienced guests who know what they're talking about, usually to discuss how we navigate the complexity of decarbonisation and sustainability in the built environment and its many related sectors.
The success of the podcast has seen it grow into a consultancy, Zero Ambitions Partners. The consultancy works with blue chip clients, public sector institutions, and niche-market innovators that operate in the built environment, advising about the development and delivery of sustainability strategy and how it should be communicated.
Hosted by Jeff Colley (Passive House Plus), Dan Hyde (Everything is User Experience) and Alex Blondin (Everything is User Experience).
- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 63 minutes
- Episodes
- 188
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
The Politics of Change and a Real Green New Deal (part 1), with Robin McAlpine of Common Weal
This was a much more political conversation than usual, but don't be put off. Robin McAlpine is an experienced political strategist and founder of the Scottish think tank, Common Weal.
We mainly want…
Retrofit Reimagined with Immy Kaur of Civic Square and Jack Minchella of Dark Matter Labs
This week we spoke to Immy Kaur of Civic Square and Jack Minchella of Dark Matter labs about the upcoming Retrofit Reimagined festival, who is taking part, why it's happening, and how you can get inv…
Commercial sustainability, doing it right and making it pay, with Gary Wilburn (EP Projects', AECB)
We had a chat with architect and building physicist, Gary Wilburn. He's the MD of EP Projects (the architectural wing of Energy Pro Group), and Chair of the Board of Trustees at the AECB.
He's been a …
Dr Peter Rickaby (part 2) on Retrofit, Heat Pumps, EPCs, PAS 2035, LADs, Climate Change, and everything in-between
Dr Peter Rickaby (part 1) on Retrofit, Heat Pumps, EPCs, PAS 2035, LADs, Climate Change, and everything in-between
EnerPhit in Action with John Gilbert Architects, Dr Ken Gibb, and Yogini Patel of The Passivhaus Trust
Great discussion with Yogini of the Passivhaus Trust, Dr Ken Gibb at Glasgow University and Chris Morgan of John Gilbert Architects on the retrofit of the sandstone tenement block in the Southside of…
The CarbonLite Retrofit Standard (part 2) and a database for Low Energy Buildings, with Andy Simmonds of the AECB
The AECB is a network of individuals, companies & organisations promoting sustainable building since 1989. With over 1800 members, their aim is to bring together tradespeople, architects, engineers, …
The CarbonLite Retrofit Standard (part 1) and a database for Low Energy Buildings, with Andy Simmonds of the AECB
The AECB is a network of individuals, companies & organisations promoting sustainable building since 1989. With over 1800 members their aim is to bring together tradespeople, architects, engineers, b…
Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), with Stephen Good and Douglas Morrison
Reissue #1 The UK Energy Market with Professor Kevin Albertson (ep #3)
This week we’ve gone back to an episode of the podcast that we recorded in the Autumn of 2021 about the UK Energy Market with Professor Kevin Albertson.
The episode was made just after the Ofgem pri…
Collective Purchasing with Chris Clarke at Scape Group - The power of procurement frameworks to change the dynamic
BetaTalk meets Zero Ambitions: we need to do better with our heating, and for our heating engineers
We met with Nathan Gambling of the Beta Teach platform and BetaTalk podcast. A champion for better heating systems, better training and education, renewables, and clean technology.
We talked about the…
ZAP's Good Friday late-night roundtable: should we be building new homes at all?
After our scheduled guest postponed their appearance we took the opportunity to discuss an issue that's been a little bit fractious in the Zero Ambitions chat: should be building new homes at all?
He…
Central heating problems: systemic issues in design, accessibility, and economics
Heating problems: systemic issues around design, accessibility, and economics
We talked about how poor system design inhibits accessibility (and optimisation), how the heating industry falls short in …
Helping Retrofit Reach a Wider Audience, with author and influencer Laura de Barra
Laura de Barra is an award winning author, illustrator, and property portfolio developer and has previously consulted on government schemes such as the Green Homes Grant around which she has some key…
Social Justice in Retrofit, with Tara Gbolade and Marianne Heaslip
Tara Gbolade is an architect, passivhouse designer and cofounder of Gbolade Design Studio, a design-led, community centred practice, focused on sustainable design. She is a member of the Architect’s …
Training for a just transition, with Caitriona Jordan of BE-ST
Caitriona Jordan from Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) spoke with us about the importance of training in supporting a just transition and shared some of CSIC's plans for accelerating th…
How We Actually Use Buildings, with Adrian Leaman and Bill Bordass (usablebuildings.co.uk)
Episode #31 with Adrian Leaman & Bill Bordass . If you’ve started looking into building performance and post occupancy evaluation at all you’ll soon come across research and tools that Adrian Leaman …
Ireland's National Retrofitting Scheme, with Eamon Ryan (TD)
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/government-launches-the-national-retrofitting-scheme/
https://www.gov.ie/en/biography/c5008-eamon-ryan/
https://www.seai.ie/
Driving the EU to Net Zero, with Ciarán Cuffe MEP
A great listen this week with a seasoned and experienced activist and politician. 20 years after an EU directive introduced energy performance certificates for buildings across Europe, Ciarán Cuffe e…