Zero Ambitions Podcast

Jeff and Dan
  • 5.0 (2)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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).

  1. 09/23/2025

    Delivering high-density, high-volume, Passive House in Central London, with Attzaz Rashid (Barratt London) and Joel Callow (Beyond Carbon)

    In this episode, we are joined by Attzaz Rashid (Barratt London) and Joel Callow (Beyond Carbon) to talk about Barratt London's move into Passive House. It was a chance to get into what attracted Barratt to developing this Lo-E homes proposition and how they came to feel confident about committing to deliver certified Passive House apartments, the team effort that's been employed to make it work, and the way this change has brought about a renewed enthusiasm for the job in some of the project's participants. It's a really interesting exploration of how the rigour and challenges of Passive House has affected Barratt's approach to high-density building, and how the Passive House approach has come to be recognised as advantageous to Barratt, in all sorts of ways.  Finally, the critique of M&E design that's made late on in the episode is not a Barratt critique—as Az makes abundantly clear—this is one founded in Joel’s experience of inheriting issues that require Beyond Carbon’s expertise for their resolution. Notes from the show Attzaz Rashid on LinkedInJoel Callow on LinkedIn The Barratt London websiteThe Beyond Carbon websiteDistrict heating and passive house - are they compatible? from the pages of Passive House PlusBarratt launches record passive house scheme also from the pages of Passive House Plus **SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION** We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs. Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

    1h 23m

  2. 09/09/2025

    Reducing the cost of retrofit through collaboration and opportunism, with Rafe Bertram

    Is there a collaboration problem in retrofit within the social housing sector? That was the premise for this conversation with Rafe Bertram, an architect and retrofit expert—appearing in a personal capacity—who was very surprised when I posed the question because he's found collaboration to be a strength in the sector, at least in London. In the end it led to a conversation about what he's learned from the experiences he's had working on retrofits in the social housing sector, in his community, and even doing big flashy Apple stores. The most interesting bit though is the strategy he's using to reduce the cost of retrofit, with his theory of reactive planning. It's an approach that takes a systematic integrated asset management approach and adds strategic opportunism into the mix in a way that enables him to piggyback essential works, like roof replacement, and use them as a catalyst for getting into a building to do the sustainability stuff that's usually a lower priority. Notes from the show Rafe Bertram on LinkedinRetrofit Kentish Town The Good Homes Alliance websiteRafe's finance report for the Good Homes Alliance — “The Green Shift – The existing financial incentives for higher environmental performance of new homes” (October 2023) More links to articles about green building, favourable finance, and better valuations: Homebuyers pay a ‘green premium’ of up to £40,000 for the most energy efficient properties (September 2021)—Lloyds Banking GroupHalifax includes EPC ratings in maximum lending calculationsHalifax to use EPC rating in affordability calculationsOctopus reducing interest rates for finance capital: 4 criteria = 1.25% discount, 6+ criteria = 2.00% discount **SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION** We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs. Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

    1h 16m

  3. 08/25/2025

    Circularity, supply chains, and bringing a bio-based material to market, with Daniel Dinizo and Charmaine Cu-Unjieng (NaturLoop)

    This episode is all about case study in circularity and a group of people turning waste into useful materials for the built environment. Daniel Dinizo and Charmaine Cu-Unjieng of NaturLoop are bringing a new bio-based product to market that transforms waste coconut husk into a material that's something between MDF and a particle board. For us, this presented a chance to talk about how sustainable materials are developed, the challenges of bringing them to market and how responsible businesses can approach supply chain development (the big challenge now). As professionals who work with LCAs, EPDs, and carbon calcs all the time it was refreshing to get into a product that will have an impact that can be accounted for in human terms, as well as the usual economic and environmental terms. They're also fundraising right now, so here's the pitch from Charmaine. NaturLoop at the Final Stage of Pre-Seed Funding"NaturLoop, the Swiss–Philippine climate-tech startup behind Cocoboard, is at the final stage of its pre-seed round. Cocoboard is the first industry-ready fibreboard made entirely from coconut husk waste and natural adhesives—a truly biocircular material. Featured at Interzum Cologne 2025, Cocoboard embodies the shift in construction and furniture toward biocircularity—no longer a trend but the future of materials. Europe’s sustainable furniture market is set to more than double to $42.6 bn by 2032, with consumers paying around 10% more for sustainable products. NaturLoop is closing its round soon, inviting strategic investors to co-build a climate-positive business that reduces deforestation and uplifts poor coconut farmers—making the industry more future-proof." Notes from the show Charmaine Cu-Unjieng on LinkedinDaniel Dinizo on Linkedin NaturLoop on Linkedin The NaturLoop websiteA short film about Cocoboard®An investor CTA from CharmaineAn example of Cocoboard in use as a speaker box for a Schwab System**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION** We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs. Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

    1h 13m

  4. 08/12/2025

    Greening homes and creating growth—the UK finance sector is seriously interested in green building, with Ian Bhullar and Ronnell Reffell (UK Finance)

    In this episode we are exploring the relationship between financial institutions and the built environment in relation to sustainability, building performance and mitigating climate change with Ian Bhullar and Ronnell Reffell from UK Finance, the UK financial sector's membership organisation. The episode itself was prompted by a report that UK Finance published in relation to the incoming UK Government's own Warm Homes Plan: Greening Homes, Creating Growth: Unlocking demand for green home finance. Its recommendations will be familiar to anyone who has been working in the green building sector but it's notable because these arguments and demands are being presented by the banks and lenders. For us this presented an opportunity to find out what the finance sector is actually thinking about how to address the demands of the built environment in relation to climate change and the financial risk that comes with it. Most importantly, they're serious about the matter—this is not ESG-style fluff, they know they need to draw in expertise from built environment professional and they want to know what people like you think. Notes from the show Ian Bhullar on LinkedinRonnell Reffell on Linkedin The UK Finance website The report itself—Greening Homes, Creating Growth: Unlocking demand for green home finance**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION** We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs. Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

    1h 15m

  5. 07/29/2025

    Big plans for tackling non-residential retrofit, with Nick Taylor and Olga Khroustaleva (Building Atlas)

    We're joined by our new friends from Building Atlas, Nick Taylor and Olga Khroustaleva, who join us for a conversation about commercial retrofit—the non-residential kind.  They’ve got a data driven business Building Atlas that helps commercial asset owners to plan pragmatic retrofit pathways for commercial real estate. This isn’t just important because of how much energy the non-residential sector consumes, it’s also because 70% of non-residential building assets are on course to become stranded assets because of their EPC rating and MEES regulation. They are simplifying a complex problem into something that’s comprehensible—aggregating experience (and data) to give broad brush stroke direction that's useful.  They’ve also published a paper about retrofit strategy for commercial buildings: The Beauty in Boring Buildings: The Business Case for Retrofit Beyond Flagship Assets. Notes from the show Nick Taylor on LinkedIn Olga Khroustaleva on LinkedIn The Building Atlas website Their recent paper — The Beauty in Boring Buildings: The Business Case for Retrofit Beyond Flagship AssetsUK Government MEES guidance — Non-domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard - landlord guidance **SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION** We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs. Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

    1h 25m

  6. 07/14/2025

    Prescription heating and experiments for a just transition, with Rose Chard (Energy Systems Catapult)

    In this episode Rose Chard joins us to describes her multilayered and multi textured approach to innovation and research. It's a conversation about Energy Systems Captapult's experiment in prescribing heating to keep people warm—that's pretty much it, but there was a lot to talk about. Notes from the show Rose Chard on LinkedInThe Inclusive Smart Solutions project that Rose mentionsWarm Home Prescription® Insights and Impact Report (July 2024) by Energy Systems CatapultWarm Home Prescription recommended by 93% of health professionals in latest trial (September 2023) by Energy Systems CatapultOne of the papers Jeff mentioned: Occupant Interactions and Effectiveness of Natural Ventilation Strategies in Contemporary New Housing in Scotland, UKThe other one: Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality in Part F 2006 Homes (BD 2702) from 2010 **SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION** We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs. Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

    1h 14m

  7. 06/30/2025

    Impact, innovation, and investment: how VCs aren't a good fit for climatetech and the need for economic biodiversity, with Richard Muscat (Untangled)

    In a slight departure from our usual building performance themes joining us for this episode we have Richard Muscat, a man who has experienced the world of investment and tech from a fascinating range of angles and is seeking ways to do things differently. In essence, we’re looking at the way venture capital and climatetech are organised in ways that aren't conducive to delivering the impact that's promised. We're not just picking on VCs, we're using them as a means of highlighting a bunch of systemic economic issues—chief among them is how unrealistic goals for growth (in its myriad forms) almost always leads to failed impact. Perversely, it's a bug in the impact investment space that's a feature of the broader investment system. We also get into concepts of degrowth and economic biodiversity. Good Homes Alliance eventLaunch event of our a best practice guide to ‘Water Efficiency and Reuse in Housing’ on Thursday 10 July. Notes from the show Richard Muscat on LinkedinThe Untangled websiteRichard's recent LinkedIn post that we mentionThe Project Drawdown websiteHuman flourishing doesn't require perpetual growth; it requires sufficiency, by Jason HickelSmarter Finance 4 EU — the project Jeff's been working on and promoting because green home certification is about not just energy use, or IAQ, etc, but how residents live their lives once they leave the front door i.e. nature + cycling + public transport + climate resilience etc. all matter**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs. Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

    1h 27m

  8. 06/16/2025

    Zero Bills Homes: a new building standard for residential construction? With Nigel Banks and Emma Fletcher (Octopus Energy)

    In this episode we're talking about Zero Bills Homes, so we welcome back Nigel Banks, this time accompanied by his Octopus colleague Emma Fletcher*. We're not directly talking Fabric Fifth again but the concept is central to the Octopus zero bills strategy i.e. prioritising decarbonising energy use and reducing the cost of energy use rather than focusing on reducing energy demand through fabric measures. As before, basic fabric standards are required in order to make the proposition financially viable. As you might imagine, Jeff was keen to dig into the technical and performance side, so Nigel explains what’s going on in the standard and what they know about how well it’s functioning and Emma fills us in on how it's shaping up to evolve into a building standard in its own right.  We're particularly keen because—although we might be sceptical, which we discuss—the action that Octopus is initiating will raise standards and will shape expectations that will influence the whole residential construction sector, and could go some way to catalysing the bridging of the skills gap. *She, too, works at Octopus Energy—she is not an actual octopus. Notes from the show Nigel Banks on LinkedinEmma Fletcher on LinkedinThe Octopus Zero Bills proposition in their own words The Octopus Tenant Power propositionNigel Banks' addressing the embodied carbon question on LinkedIn Link to The Octopus Energy Tech Summit (23rd June)The Fabric Fifth ZAP episode from last year**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs. Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

    1h 21m
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About

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).

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff and Dan
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    189
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Zero Ambitions 2024
  • Show Website
    Zero Ambitions Podcast