Best Foot Forward

BFF Technical Director, Craig Simmons, has been appointed to one of the Technical Working Groups looking at expanding the international Greenhouse Gas Protocol to include products and supply chains. The new standard is being progressed under the guidance of the World Resources Institute and World Business Council on Sustainable Development. Craig already acts as an adviser on PAS 2050 (recently launched in the UK by Defra, BSI and the Carbon Trust) which is being considered as a model for the WRI/WBCSD guidance.

Co-authored by BFF Director Craig Simmons, leading architect Bill Dunster and energy expert Bobby Gilbert, 'The ZEDbook: solutions for a shrinking world' has won the prestigious RIBA President's Award for Research 2008. The judges' citation stated "this is a serious body of work well researched and documented, with the ideas having been refined constantly over the years."

What might the current economic turmoil mean for corporate environmental initiatives? Whilst climate change and the associated pressures from government and the consumer will remain, it is likely that green spend will be more scutinised than ever. To limit risk, organisations will also want to ensure that environmental measures are compatible with evolving standards. To better equip organisations to deal with these challenges BFF have developed two new training courses that support decision-making.

Best Foot Forward are delighted to be supporting the Planet Earth Season - a series of Oxfordshire events which will celebrate the richness and diversity of our environment and what we can do to preserve it. Highlights include breathtaking images in the 'Earth from the Air' exhibition at Oxford Castle. More information can be found on www.oxfordinspires.org.

A good time was had by all when BFF staff went off to Port Solent for a team-building exercise! We chartered three yachts and set off in blustery conditions to learn the ropes under the watchful eyes of our three professional skippers. Powered by nothing more than the wind, it would be difficult to imagine a more low carbon pastime – or would it?

Publishers Taylor and Francis have announced that the best-selling ZEDbook; solutions for a shrinking world - co-authored by BFF Technical Director Craig Simmons - is to be translated into Japanese. The book is a practical guide to creating zero emission developments (the ‘ZED’ in the title). ZEDbook takes the reader from a basic understanding of climate change, ecological footprints and resource limits through to providing detailed design guides, case studies and real life applications.

BFF has been recruiting again! Our newest employee is Charlotte Dickinson, who has joined us as a Project Manager. Charlotte previously worked for Ecofys, and before that spent 6 years at Thames Valley Energy (TVE). Charlotte brings in-depth expertise in renewable energy, and her strong analytical skills and management experience will be really valuable for our projects. Charlotte’s appointment brings BFF’s total staff to fifteen... and means we will soon need to take over the downstairs space in our office.

BFF has sent out  its quarterly newsletter to contacts and subscribers. Our newsletter is intended  to provide a quick update of what's changed within the company and a brief overview of some recent projects. The top stories this quarter are the website and logo redesign, new staff profiles and updates on projects for Radiohead, Ofcom and WRAP. If you missed the newsletter - or would like to sign up - you can view it on our website.

The Managing Partners' Forum has launched a carbon footprint campaign. Part of this campaign includes the establishment of The MPF Register of Carbon Assessors, and BFF is one of the first companies to be listed. BFF were proposed by an independent organisation for inclusion in the Register because of our track record.