UK: Mayor’s fire safety plan for London aims to exceed national building regulations

Fire Safety – National or Local requirements??? In his draft guidance on fire safety, the Mayor of London is seeking to ensure the highest standards of fire safety from the earliest design stages. Ron Alalouff investigates the details of the proposals. The guidance sets out...

B&W Partners with Kiewit Industrial to Develop World’s Largest Net-Negative CO2 Biomass-to-Energy Facility

WOBO acknowledges the need to develop net-negative carbon initiatives. Babcock & Wilcox will partner with Kiewit Industrial to deliver Fidelis New Energy’s planned net-negative carbon impact biomass power plant at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The 200-megawatt electric plant will be the largest of its kind...

Germany: Major electricity sector revamp, significantly boosting renewables goals

WOBO thanks “edie” for the update on energy capture in Germany. The German government has presented a comprehensive revamp of the country’s electricity sector, outlining new frameworks for renewables, power grids and markets in order to set the country on track to reach climate neutrality....

UK: RoSPA’s Safer Stairs campaign achieves major breakthrough

WOBO welcomes the proposed action in terms of safety. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has confirmed that the campaign to make stairs safer has achieved a major breakthrough, as the Government commits to consultation on changing Building Regulations. The Government is...

Bionic Wing Flaps Improve Wind Energy Efficiency

Nature provides a key focus for research! Wind energy relies on efficient wind turbine blades, which act as airfoils, structures akin to an airplane wing. Air flow control accessories similar to those found in aircraft improve the turbine blade’s aerodynamic performance. In the Journal of Renewable...

Professional Qualifications

WOBO recognises and supports the need for professional qualifications within the built environment. A recent survey has found that two-thirds of employees believe that studying for professional qualifications enhances their career. The survey of 4,000 UK professionals asked the following questions: Do you feel that studying for professional...

UK Government scraps Building Safety Manager role in amended Building Safety Bill

WOBO thanks IFSEC GLOBAL for the link to the article by Ron Alalouff. WOBO recognises that “law is not law” until development is concluded and Royal Assent is given. Government scraps Building Safety Manager role in amended Building Safety Bill After the government’s recent announcement...

UK builds on Industrial Strategy with record £39.8bn R&D budget

WOBO recognises our future success will be the outcome of research and development today. The UK Government has announced R&D funding totalling £39.8bn through to 2025, in what it has described as the largest allocation of its kind to date. The funding package was announced...

UK: Heat and Buildings Strategy

WOBO thanks CABE for the link to the UK’s Heat and Buildings Strategy. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has released its independent assessment of the UK government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy.  As well as a detailed policy gap analysis covering residential, commercial and public buildings,...

The pressure is on: It’s time to accelerate progress towards the SDGs

WOBO acknowledges the goals of Unilever. As we approach the halfway mark on the journey to 2030, it’s clear that we’re not getting to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fast enough. This milestone provides an opportunity to reset and refocus our attention on the targets...

©2025 All Rights Reserved World Organization of Building Officials.

MENU