Green insight

Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell discusses how lack of clarity could be hampering progress towards greater energy efficiency.

This week, I spoke to Jane Dalton, co-founder of Global Parlez, a market research agency focused on environmental and economic sustainability.

In the run up to COP26, she interviewed industry leaders to get their views on the economic as well as environmental sustainability of the fenestration sector.

This is what she told me: “As sector specialists will be all too aware, economic instability is rife.

“Booming home improvement sales, coupled with staff shortages and multiple supply chain issues, have created the best of times and the worst of times, happening all at once.

“External issues are being compounded by a trading context where escalating consumer demands create undue pressure on upstream lead times, and makes installers nervous of mentioning price rises, even when circumstances make them inevitable.

“90-day price guarantees are being offered to customers, but prices are rising every few days. 
That’s a really bad situation created because a specific installer is worried about losing the sale.

“So, with all of this Covid-inspired instability to contend with, is anyone really focused on the green agenda?

“Industry leaders who we spoke to, believed they were doing all they should be in relation to sustainability and energy efficiency. For some, this meant stepping up to push forward with positive choices within their company and for their downstream customers.

“Yet for others, it meant standing back and waiting until clear instructions were handed down from government or industry bodies.

“Will the industry’s green innovators march ahead and claim market share in the wake of COP 26?”

Jane would like to hear your views. 

Completing her survey takes as long as a coffee break, and for that small time investment, you will receive an insight report that shows the complete span of responses from industry professionals working across the sector. 




You can access the survey here.

And don’t forget that you can listen to the latest Aluk podcast on either Spotify or Apple which covers the upcoming changes to the Building Regulations.