Coinciding with the COP26 conference, a coalition of representatives has published a report on the actions required to support decarbonisation in the built environment.
“For the Construction Sector to address the impact of our built environment on climate change, a collaborative approach is required to deliver cost-effective, people-focused solutions.”
The coalition, which includes over 200 representatives from architectural practices, consultants and other built environment bodies, united around the RIBA and Architects Declare joint report. The report sets out key recommendations as to how the construction sector must change in order to achieve decarbonisation in the built environment.
On the second day of the COP26 summit, the coalition’s demands were outlined to world leaders, which they state are imperative if we are to reach the target of the Paris Agreement.
Simon Bell, Director at HLM, commented on the report and its findings:
“For the Construction Sector to address the impact of our built environment on climate change, a collaborative approach is required to deliver cost-effective, people-focused solutions. We also need policy makers, procuring authorities, planners, and educators to work collaboratively to develop these solutions. The ‘Built for the Environment’ report is a comprehensive call to action, setting out a series of recommendations which sets the stage for the Built Environment Sector to deliver effective outcomes, reducing the impact of our buildings on the environment and global climate change.”
The demands made include the re-imagining of building codes to cover new regulations, standards and monitoring policies on buildings, as well as revised approaches to managing existing building stock and financial initiatives. Their primary goal is to have the advised measures adopted by policymakers, and embedded into nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the global climate effort.
The report – Built for the Environment report (architecture.com) was written by Maria Smith, a director of Buro Happold and RIBA councillor, and Andrew Waugh, a director of Waugh Thistleton Architects who sits on the Architects Declare steering group.
