Launch of Green Alliance construction and efficiency report

[edit] What’s stopping construction from becoming more resource efficient?

In February 2023, CIAT announced it had contributed to a new report by Green Alliance that strives to find out how we can shift to a more circular building industry.

The construction sector is one of the most important industries in the UK. But it is also responsible for some of the biggest environmental impacts. It is the source of most of the country’s waste, a quarter of UK carbon emissions and the extraction of the raw materials it uses has wide ranging effects on the land, natural systems and communities.

Shifting to a more circular construction sector, prioritising reuse, remanufacturing and recycling, could significantly reduce the environmental footprint of the industry while still providing the housing and infrastructure the country needs. So what’s stopping the industry from going for it?

Green Alliance will present their research, for the Circular Economy Task Force, which has identified how to put the UK’s building industry on a greener, more sustainable path. On 8 March, come and hear the responses to these findings from a panel of experts from academia, the government and industry.

The panel will be followed by a Q&A session and a drinks reception.

Panellists

• Heather Plumpton, policy analyst, Green Alliance
• Danielle Densley Tingley, senior lecturer, University of Sheffield
• Rachel Hoolahan, architect and sustainability co-ordinator, Orms
• Tessa Devreese, project manager, CIRCuIT programme, ReLondon

Further speakers to be announced.

Register here

[edit] The Green Alliance

The Green Alliance is an independent think tank and charity focused on ambitious leadership for the environment. Since 1979, it has been working with the most influential leaders in business, NGOs and politics to accelerate political action and create transformative policy for a green and prosperous UK.

The focus is on ensuring the UK government rises to the significant environmental leadership challenges of this age and, in doing so, reaps the social and economic benefits that come from an effective UK response to the climate and nature crises. The Green Aliance aims to;

• TurnUK political ambition on climate and nature into rapid action.
• Promote effective solutions for a fair transition to a green economy.
• Push the boundaries to find new answers to complex environmental problems.

[edit] The Circular Economy Task Force

Since 2012, the Circular Economy Task Force (CETF) have pioneered new approaches to preventing and reducing waste, currently chaired by Colin Church, chief executive of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).

With support of the CETF, Green Alliance conducts independent, objective research and analysis to inform resources policy, convening stakeholders from government, civil society and industry to develop and test ideas.

The task force has had a significant impact on government policy. For example, Defra’s 2018 resources and waste strategy adopted many of its recommendations, including harmonising recycling services and implementing an extended producer responsibility regime.

This announcement originally appeared on the CIAT news and blog site as "Launch of Green Alliance report | What’s stopping construction from becoming more resource efficient?" dated February 27 2023.

--CIAT

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• ACAN climate emergency conservation area toolkit.
• CIAT articles
• Climate emergency.
• Climate emergency - time for action.
• Climate Emergency Design Guide: How new buildings can meet UK climate change.
• Environment and climate emergency.
• Greenhouse gases.
• Green Alliance.
• LETI publishes Climate Emergency Retrofit Guide.
• RIBA Stirling Prize winners' open letter declaring climate and biodiversity emergency.
• The Circular Economy Task Force.
• UK climate change risk assessment.

Comments

[edit] To make a comment about this article, click 'Add a comment' above. Separate your comments from any existing comments by inserting a horizontal line.