CIOB conference urges urgent sustainability action

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has called for urgent action to tackle climate, nature and social crises, warning that construction must accelerate change to reduce its environmental impact.

More than 200 people, including policymakers, academics and sustainability experts, joined CIOB’s second annual virtual sustainability conference, Sustainable Construction: Shifting the Narrative. The event showcased international case studies and UK projects delivering climate-positive and nature-positive outcomes, and highlighted retrofit as a tool for regenerating communities.

Amanda Williams, CIOB’s head of environmental sustainability, said:
“The urgency to take joined-up action has never been greater, not just to tackle climate change but the interconnected nature and pollution crises too, which are closely linked to community wellbeing. Around 39% of the world’s carbon emissions come from the construction and maintenance of buildings. It has never been more urgent for us to address the industry’s impact.”

Speakers included author and social entrepreneur Pooran Desai OBE, who stressed the need for integrated solutions: “We face many problems – social, environmental and economic – but can't solve them in siloes. The construction industry can play its part in becoming part of a future that pulls us together rather than pulls us apart.”

Other contributors included Cressida Curtis, group sustainability director at Wates; Georgia Byrnes, sustainability engineer at Laing O’Rourke; Dr Cecilia Wandiga of the Centre for Science & Technology Innovations in Kenya; Ian Pritchett, innovation director at Greencore Homes; and CIOB senior vice president Saul Humphrey.

The conference follows last year’s CIOB event Accelerating Towards a Net Zero Built Environment. More information on CIOB’s sustainability work is available at ciob.org.

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CIOB’s second virtual sustainability conference highlighted the urgent need for joined-up action across climate, nature and community wellbeing.