Supporting Climate Week....
From 28 September to 4 October, Sisalwool will be supporting Scotland’s Climate Week; a nationwide opportunity for communities, businesses, schools and individuals to celebrate climate action already under way and encourage practical next steps.
For us, the week is a timely reminder that meaningful progress does not come from one single solution. It comes from many informed decisions: how we design buildings, improve existing homes, choose materials, reduce energy demand and make projects work for people (as well as the planet).
Why Retrofit Matters
At Sisalwool, we believe retrofit and, where appropriate, deep retrofit, will be a key part of helping Scotland and the wider UK move towards net zero.
Most of the homes and buildings we will be using in the decades ahead already exist. That makes improving their performance essential. A well-planned retrofit can reduce heat loss, improve comfort, help tackle damp and condensation risks, lower energy demand and create a more resilient building for the years ahead.
In Scotland, the need is clear. Heating homes and buildings produces around one fifth of the country’s greenhouse-gas emissions, while Scotland has a statutory target to reach net zero by 2045. The Scottish Government’s current Climate Change Plan anticipates that around 1.9 million homes and 14,000 public buildings will need to transition to clean heating by 2045.
The challenge is also relevant across the UK, where the built environment is a major contributor to emissions, evidenced by UK Green Building Council report that show the built environment accounts for around 25% of UK greenhouse-gas emissions. Retrofit matters because it addresses the existing building stock: improving fabric performance, reducing operational energy and retaining buildings and materials rather than simply demolishing them.
Making Buildings Work Better Before Adding New Heating Technology
However, Retrofit is not simply a case of adding one product or replacing one system. Every property is different, and the best solution come from understanding how the whole building works.
That means considering:
- The age, construction and condition of the property
- Heat loss through walls, roofs, floors, windows and gaps
- Ventilation, moisture movement and indoor air quality
- The materials used and their wider environmental impact
- How the building will be used
For many projects, reducing energy demand before, or alongside, a change in heating system can make a key difference. Natural-fibre insulation has an important role to play here, particularly where projects need materials that support breathable construction and are appropriate for traditional, solid-wall or moisture-sensitive buildings.
Deep retrofit takes this thinking further. It considers the building as a connected project and aims for a significant, coordinated improvement in energy efficiency, comfort and carbon performance, rather than a series of individual upgrades.
Sisalwool’s Climate Week programme
Throughout Climate Week, we will be sharing practical content to help homeowners, architects, specifiers, installers and DIYers better understand retrofit and sustainable building choices.
We begin with a short, helpful video from Sisalwool Founder John Ferguson, explaining what retrofit means and why it should matter to anyone improving an existing building.
Across the week, we will also share:
- Funding guidance to help make a retrofit or green project a realistic possibility
- An insight into how Sisalwool is embracing the circular economy in product production
- A practical retrofit checklist, with useful considerations for architects, specifiers and DIYers planning a project
- A look ahead at the future of retrofit, including ideas, approaches and learning from other countries
Our aim is not to suggest that every building needs the same answer. It is to help make retrofit feel understood and more achievable.
Building Change, One Project At a Time
Scotland’s Climate Week encourages everyone to “start where you are”, whether that means making changes at home, leading change in a business or getting involved through your local community.
That message strongly reflects Sisalwool’s approach. Real progress happens when net-zero goals are translated into practical action: a better-insulated roof, a carefully specified wall build-up, a planned renovation or a building that is warmer and cheaper to run.
Sisalwool is proud to support Scotland’s Climate Week and to contribute to the conversation around better, lower-impact buildings. Retrofit will not be the only answer to the climate challenge….but it will be one of the most important ways Scotland and the wider UK can reduce emissions, improve existing homes and buildings, and create environments fit for the future.
Watch John's video below...
Image courtesy of Net Zero Scotland
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