Earth Day: Shaping a Cleaner Future

Over 8 billion people now inhabit Earth, and with this comes not only the risks and opportunities presented from a booming population, but the threat of depleting resources.

On April 22^nd, Earth Day is celebrated in over 190 countries across the world, when we consciously look at where our planet stands today and what the future holds. It’s a day when thoughts are turned to taking actions for a healthy planet and reinforcing strategies for sustainable living, part of which means sustainable and cleaner energy sources.

For 2025, the main theme for Earth Day is power and planet, when everyone around the globe is invited to unite behind renewable energy, and has been set a target to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030.

One way to achieve this is to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of renewable energy that are clean, accessible, affordable and reliable. Renewable energy sources – such as those provided by the sun, wind, water, waste and heat from the ground – are replenished by nature and emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants into the air.

At Okana, clean energy is an area we have been working on for some time, and Earth Day brings an opportunity to celebrate not only the progress we have made, but the principles that guide our path forward.

Power, Planet and People

The themes of Earth Day 2025, power and planet, sit at the heart of our principles. These are not abstract ideas. They are the forces that shape how we design, act and adapt. At Okana, we believe the ability to change is already in our hands, and that people, not just buildings, are the focus of sustainability. 

To bring this to life, we have introduced our 4C’s of sustainability:  

The Okana Sustainability Knowledge Wheel 

Launched in April 2024 and now embedded across our global projects, the Okana Sustainability Knowledge Wheel is more than a framework – it is our engine for integrated, outcome led sustainability.  

From single building briefs to national scale strategies, it has helped us deliver resilient, resource efficient and regenerative design across diverse climates and sectors. 

The Wheel is structured around five core knowledge areas: 

1. Operational Energy and Carbon 
2. Whole Life and Embodied Carbon 
3. Indoor Quality and Comfort 
4. Outdoor Microclimate 
5. Sustainable Communities 

These are not silos. They are interconnected disciplines. By combining our skills in human factors, computational assessments and in situ measurements, we prototype, refine and verify real world sustainability outcomes. 

Whether it is retrofit, adaptive reuse or new build, our approach merges qualitative ambition with data driven evidence, bridging vision and verification, creativity and climate science. 

Our integrated design approach aligns sustainability targets with design thinking, stakeholder values and measurable performance. It ensures schemes like BREEAM, LEED, WELL and NABERS are not just achieved, but used as tools to enhance design, not restrict it. 

Tuscany Estate Retrofit Strategy

Discipline: Human Factors and Environmental Strategy 
In collaboration with Okana partner i2C Architects, we delivered a whole estate sustainability vision for Italy’s first organic farm. Our strategy balanced fabric and technology retrofit across heritage buildings, alongside a masterplan focused on agroecological land management, biodiversity corridors, and water resilience. The design merges placemaking, community stewardship, and adaptive reuse to ensure both built and natural environments thrive. It is AND, not OR.  

Gordonstoun Coast Guard Training Centre

Discipline: Computational Assessment and Optimisation 
Working with our Scottish mass timber innovators Ecosystems Technologies, we provided in depth design optimisation services for a new net zero training centre. We delivered hygrothermal envelope simulations, LCA studies and renewable energy scenarios, helping the team rapidly prototype the most efficient balance between fabric first and zero carbon power generation.  

Northumbria University Estates Masterplan

Discipline: Outdoor Microclimate and Systems Integration 
With Okana partner Ryder Architecture, we helped shape the university’s future strategy through the lens of ‘Greening the Campus’.  

The design team translated the client goals into a four part sustainability strategy:  

1. Net Zero Carbon  
2. Resource Responsibility  
3. Biodiversity and Health  
4. Climate Agility and Resilience  

We conducted targeted microclimate analysis for the University’s City Centre and Coach Lane campuses, informing placement, shading and building orientation to reduce overheating risk and enhance outdoor comfort.  

West Linton Community Heat Team

Discipline: Dissemination, Sustainable Communities and In Situ Measurement 
We are proud to support the grassroots West Linton Community Heat Team, a citizen science initiative upskilling local residents in building physics, thermography, and home energy awareness. Our team provided training, IR diagnostics, and retrofit guidance, helping the Heat Team to empower their community in preparation for net zero. This is social sustainability in action, community led, data driven and deeply local.  

Renfrewshire Council Retrofit Programme

Discipline: Whole Life Carbon and In Situ Performance Evaluation 
In partnership with our client Renfrewshire Council, we are supporting a strategic retrofit programme focused on post war housing stock. Our work includes detailed building performance evaluation of three blocks of six flats, using in situ hygrothermal sensors to monitor pre retrofit heat, humidity and moisture transfer through the building envelope.  This data is being used to assess the moisture accumulation risk across a range of proposed fabric upgrade strategies. By modelling the performance of multiple retrofit variations, we are helping to ensure each solution is not only low carbon, but also safe, durable and tailored to the limitations of the archetype. The outcomes will help guide long term strategy and ensure scalable; evidence led retrofit delivery across the region.  

These are just a few of our projects that illustrate how Earth Day isn’t only about what we believe, it’s about what we do. By optimising both existing buildings and new developments through thoughtful consideration of carbon, climate, comfort, and conservation, we significantly reduce their energy and power demands. This means the renewable energy we do generate can stretch much further, amplifying its impact and making ambitious global targets, such as tripling clean electricity generation by 2030, genuinely achievable.  

Find out more about Okana’s Environmental and Sustainability expertise.