Climate Confident The Hidden Barriers to Building Decarbonisation – and How to Overcome Them
In this episode of Climate Confident, I sit down with Puja Balachander, CEO and co-founder of UpGreen, to explore how commercial landlords and asset managers can accelerate energy efficiency retrofits while keeping costs down.
Buildings account for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, yet many remain inefficient due to financial and logistical barriers. UpGreen tackles this by reducing upfront retrofit costs and enabling landlords to recapture savings from tenants, turning sustainability upgrades into a viable business strategy.
We discuss:
- Why 87% of UK commercial buildings must undergo energy upgrades within the next five years to meet regulations.
- How UpGreen's model cuts retrofit costs by up to 80% while recovering 60% of expenses through tenant savings.
- The hidden inefficiencies preventing widespread adoption of energy retrofits, despite their cost-effectiveness.
- The challenges of scaling retrofits across different markets, from the UK’s public energy performance data to Germany’s fragmented regulations.
- The future of retrofits beyond energy efficiency, including climate adaptation measures for flood and heat resilience.
This episode offers practical insights for commercial landlords, sustainability professionals, and policymakers looking to unlock the full potential of building decarbonisation.
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🔗 Show links:
🌍 Learn more about UpGreen: getupgreen.com
📩 Contact me: tomraftery@outlook.com
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Credits
Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper