More recently, young advocates such as Greta Thunberg have been clear about where we were headed. Not alarmist – clear. And weeks like this one we’ve been through are exactly the case study she, and countless scientists, designers, and sustainability professionals before and after her, have been warning about for decades. Except now, it’s not a warning. It’s the news.
Schools closed because it was too dangerous for children to travel or try and learn in overheated classrooms. Offices became greenhouses – all that floor-to-ceiling glass doing its job beautifully for natural light and external views until temperatures soared, at which point it became a liability. Air conditioning units run flat out, and electricity bills reflect this. Trains and commercial events are cancelled. The infrastructure and built environment we built for a different climate is simply not fit for this one or the one we’re heading towards.
At SKArating, we have been making this argument since our inception. Sustainable design is not a preference – it is engineering for reality. And weeks like this make it impossible to argue otherwise.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
The irony of weeks such as in June 2026 is not lost on us. Buildings designed to project modernity – maximised glazing, open atria, south-facing facades with no shading or thermal comfort strategy – became the very embodiment of what sustainable design has long warned against. Solar gain unchecked. No passive cooling. No biophilic buffer. The result: indoor temperatures that make working dangerous, not merely uncomfortable, and energy bills that reflect the emergency mechanical cooling required to compensate.
These are not freak occurrences. They are design failures that were and still are predictable – and preventable.
The Triple Bottom Line
What distinguishes the SKArating methodology is its refusal to treat sustainability as a single-axis problem. The triple bottom line – people, planet, and profit – is a design framework that ensures every decision in an interior fit-out or refurbishment is evaluated across three interconnected lenses.
Planet. Reducing embodied carbon, maximising resource efficiency, selecting materials with verifiable provenance, and designing for circularity and longevity – not just for certification.
People. Thermal comfort, air quality, daylighting, acoustic wellbeing, and biophilic connection. Emotional health and comfort. A building that makes its occupants unsafe has failed, regardless of its energy rating.
Profit. Lower operational costs, reduced energy cost fluctuation exposure, higher occupant productivity, greater asset resilience, brand and image value and regulatory future-proofing. Sustainable design is the sound investment – and June 2026 weather patterns proved it in real time, on electricity bills and commercial or social activities across the country.
The SKArating framework assesses interior fit-outs and refurbishments across 80+ criteria to create drive and accountability at every stage of design, construction and operation. Not as a burden – as a discipline that makes better buildings.
What You Can Do – Starting Now
The knowledge exists. The methodology is proven. The business case has never been stronger. Here is where to start:
Sustainable Design Guidance Access SKArating’s comprehensive design guidance – practical, measurable, and applicable to your next project from day one.
Assessor Training Become a qualified SKArating Assessor or SKArating Competent Professional. Gain the skills to evaluate, advise on, and certify sustainable interior fit-outs.
Get assessed on your next interior fit-out Already planning a refurbishment? Bring SKArating in at early briefing and design stage – where the decisions that matter are still available to make.
Be the Change. Make the Change.
We have had 30 years of warnings. We do not need another 30 years of reports. The built environment is where the climate crisis is won or lost – and you are living in the built environment.
That makes this ours to shape. The tools are here. The training is here. The moment is unambiguous.
The Board’s aim is to steer, support and benchmark sustainable good practice in the interiors and fit-out industry for the benefit of all.
Following sizeable impact and based on industry response and resourcing capacity, the SKArating Board has revised the dates and timelines for updating SKArating schemes and developing new ones.
Roadmap latest:
The Offices Environmental 2.0 scheme has been welcomed by the industry and market. Benchmark levels are pushing new good practice and lifting standard practice in both circularity issues and the selection of products that align with the embodied carbon benchmarks.
There is strong interest from consultants looking to integrate environmental consistency in design guides that align with clients’ targets of net zero alignment and who recognise the leading position the UK and SKArating have in providing these.
Bronze is the New Gold – Good practice levels have been re-set and lifted to reflect current good practice and this will now be reflected in the ratings. It is harder to achieve a Silver and Gold rated project under the new 2.0 schemes. Golds are expected initially to be few and far between until the market uplifts practices. Our aim is to keep driving the market and set the standards. So, once this happens, we will move levels up again.
The approach of removing the Social & Wellbeing related measures from the Environmental schemes is being reflected across all our schemes. Social & Wellbeing related measures will move into a new set of schemes, and the environmental measures streamlined and kept in line with net zero, aiming towards 100% circularity. Numerous universities are already integrating the upgraded Environmental good practice benchmarks into their procurement processes and performance briefs.
The development of Social & Wellbeing schemes that complete, improve and simplify the actions and performance of issues around individuals and community groups related to a fit-out and refurbishment project is strongly supported by the Higher Education and Offices sectors. The current market sees incomplete, cumbersome and unsustainable schemes that leave project needs unmet and impede sector improvement.
The Higher Education (HE) schemes scope will be expanded to include Life Sciences fit-out and refurbishment projects. This will incorporate Laboratory and related research spaces. There is often a natural overlap of interior areas and use in these sectors and combining them provides an efficient approach to scheme development. The updated scheme will be called SKArating for Higher Education & Life Sciences (HE&LS).
The final development area is the Economic & Value pillar. Upfront financial costs has hitherto been the loudest driver for projects, often resulting in poor value, unpredictable quality and volatility in delivering good spaces and buildings – and leaving our industry often unable to deliver the best to our clients and the wider society we are here to serve. The Board’s aim is to widen the scope of ‘cost and value’ and correct economic thinking beyond just finance. This will allow projects, clients and our industry to uncover, untapped, hidden value and deliver more of our sector’s objectives with less strife and more joy.
The SKArating Board and Central Team remain open to expressions of interest to be involved in any of the roadmap work streams. Existing and new Partners and work-stream leads are always invited to support our activities as they align with theirs. Additionally, all medium or light contributions that fit with each stakeholder’s capacity are equally warmly invited and greatly valued.
SKArating is by the industry for the industry. We have demonstrated 20 years of quiet leadership in sustainable interior fit-outs, and are now stepping up to lead the evolution of the sector towards new heights of sustainable practice and value.
In our latest episode, we unpack how Wagamama’s Clarks Village restaurant became a standout example of sustainable fit-out in action — with insights from:
Alex Neil, Group Head of Construction, Wagamama Stewart Muir, Senior Technical Consultant & SKA Assessor, Bioregional Together, they share what it really takes to embed sustainability into a fast-paced construction programme.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll hear:
Why setting a baseline is the most important step — and how it shaped the whole project
Energy results that surprised everyone — including a 14–20% reduction through better monitoring
What a 50% rise in water costs taught the team about the value of real-time data
How recycled chopsticks, ocean-waste plastic chairs and furniture reuse brought circularity to life
The growing role of suppliers — and why contractor engagement has never mattered more
How sustainability became a competitive (and fun) part of Wagamama’s operations
A behind-the-scenes look at assessing with SKArating — and why achieving Gold was a team sport
Alex and Stewart also share how the project shifted internal culture, supported net-zero commitments, and demonstrated the commercial benefits of smarter energy and water systems.
If you’re exploring SKArating for the first time — or looking to elevate your approach — this episode is packed with practical, real-world insights.
If you would like to receive more information or have any questions about the Offices Scheme update, please sign up for our newsletter in the footer below, or contact us via email at support@skarating.org.
Following annual review of our charge rates we announce that the project certification fee is increasing in line with inflation to £900 plus VAT. This increase will take place from Monday, December 8th 2025.
All projects proceeding to certification from December 8th onwards will be paying this rate irrespective of when they were registered.
Any queries on this please email support@skarating.org and our team will be happy to assist you.
We’re pleased to share with you that the Offices Environmental 2.0 scheme officially went live yesterday – Monday, 15th September 2025! The scheme is on the online toolhere, and you can download the Good Practice Measureshere.
Here’s what you need to know:
All new offices project registrations will be on v2.0 version only.
All existing v1.2 projects will continue as normal through to certification.
Want to hear about the scheme? Online briefing sessions with the development team are now available and ready for you to register onto. Select one or all four events below, to hear about the scheme overview, aims and focused details on major impact categories.
Tuesday 23/09 at 4-5.30pm – scheme introduction, aims and strategy – register here
Wednesday 01/10 at 12-1.30pm – scheme introduction and focus on Materials category – register here
Wednesday 08/10 at 12-1.30pm – scheme introduction and focus on Energy category –register here
Monday 13/10 at 12-1.30pm – scheme introduction and focus on Resource Management category – register here
All the work undertaken to create this scheme has been done by the industry and for the industry, and forms a defining feature of SKArating and our culture. Leading the SKArating for Offices Environmental 2.0 scheme update were the following SKArating Board members:
Charlie Law – Sustainable Construction Solutions Dave Wakelin – Gleeds Elina Grigoriou – Grigoriou Interiors Joe Croft – Overbury / Morgan Lovell Iain McIlwee – FIS
The SKArating Board is grateful for all the research, resource, verification and rich discussion provided in the scheme research process by the following industry stakeholders, and companies at the time of their involvement:
Alan Munson – Atelier Ten Amelia Walker – ISG Anja Schellenbauer – JRA Asif Din – Perkins & Will Benn Keymer – KM ECO Beth Jepson – Parkeray Brian Murphy – Green Spec Chris Blencowe – Parkeray Chris Browes – Atelier Ten Christos Kollias – Verte CIBSE SLL members David Reynolds – David Reynolds Elga Niemann – Atelier Ten Ella Fathi – IOR Group Fergus Adams – Parkeray Flavie Lowres – FIS Gilli Hobbs – Reusefully Greg Lavery – Rype Giuseppa Fiorenza – Denton Ian Orme – Restoration and Renewal Ines Viana – Grigoriou Interiors Jack Lane – Overbury James Shears – Overbury Jamie Richardson – TSK Group Jeremy Fielding – Atrium John Logan – Construction Waste Portal Katherine Adams – Reusefully Laura Salinas – Grigoriou Interiors Lauren Williams – ADP Lee Pasifull – LP Energy Louise Conroy – Sustainable Acoustics Luke Barrett – Parkeray Maisie Voyce – KM ECO Margot McGinty – ISG Nick Barrowman – Morgan Lovell Nitesh Magdani – NetPositiveSolutions Olivia Sheridan – Crown Worldwide Paul Traynor – Light Bureau Rigas Malamoutsis – Verte Ryan Menezies – Elevate Everywhere Samantha Allen – M Moser Associates Scarlett Franklin – ISG Stephanos Stephanov – 2050 Materials Team at ETL Team at FISP Theo Charitides – Verte Tim Bowes – Whitecroft Lighting Vanessa Wall – Hoare Lea Vicky Dootson – Overbury Zoe Glander – Overbury / Morgan Lovell
We also extend our gratitude to all SKArating Assessors and wider stakeholders including developers, occupiers, designers, engineers, contractors, and supply chain parties who contributed in the briefing workshops and public consultation stage and took time to feedback and improve the work.
We can’t wait for you to experience 2.0. For any questions, please email us at comms@skarating.org
