Ridge has contributed to the UK Green Building Council’s new report, Building the Case for Net Zero: Retrofitting Retail and Logistics Buildings. The publication offers practical guidance to help the retail and logistics sectors reduce energy use and whole life carbon. Ridge supported the work both as a project partner and as part of the UKGBC working group.
Senior associate in cost management, Chris Rogers, senior associate in architecture, Emma McDermott, and sustainability partner, Kat Adair, each provided input informed by their experience across retrofit, cost planning, and sustainable design.
A practical resource for a complex challenge
The report outlines commonly used retrofit measures for retail and logistics buildings, exploring their potential impact on energy performance alongside indicative implementation costs. It also highlights the wider considerations that influence effective retrofit planning, including timing, sequencing and long‑term resilience.
Key themes emerging from the work
Several principles were reinforced through the development of the report:
- Each building requires its own assessment, as the most effective interventions vary widely between assets.
- Combinations of measures should be evaluated together to understand how they interact and where the greatest benefits can be achieved.
- Portfolio‑level analysis can help organisations identify the most impactful measures at scale, improving both energy performance and cost efficiency.
- Climate adaptation and resilience need to be considered at the point of retrofit, given the pace of environmental change.
- Lease cycles, maintenancewindowsand refurbishment programmes provide natural opportunities to integrate retrofit measures efficiently.
Supporting the sector’s transition
This report provides the kind of clear, practical guidance the industry needs to accelerate decarbonisation across non‑domestic buildings. It reinforces the importance of optimisation and proportionate retrofit as immediate, scalable actions for reducing operational energy and carbon.
Emma McDermott, Senior Associate, Architecture
Ridge’s involvement reflects our ongoing work with clients and industry partners to support the transition to net zero. The report provides clear, accessible guidance for those responsible for planning, managing, or delivering retrofit programmes across non‑domestic buildings.
The full report is available via UKGBC: Building the Case for Net Zero: Retrofitting Retail and Logistics Buildings | UKGBC
For more information, contact Chris Rogers, Emma McDermott and Kat Adair
