Environmental Sustainability
Environmental Sustainability
The built environment accounts for 25 per cent of UK emissions, with operational energy use making up approximately 19 per cent. Furthermore, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) state 80 per cent of the UK’s current building stock will still be in use by 2050, highlighting the urgent need for retrofit to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and improve overall comfort and liveability.
Why is there such a challenge?
Environmental sustainability is a complex issue shaped by:
- Carbon emissions: Both operational (the emissions from energy used during the occupational phase) and embodied carbon (those associated with the entire lifecycle of a building) from buildings contribute significantly to climate change and the built environment has a role in reducing these emissions.
- Resource use and waste: Construction and demolition account for over a third of global material consumption and waste generation. Overall, the sector needs to better understand the use and reuse of materials to reduce waste.
- Biodiversity and land use: Projects can disrupt local ecosystems and natural habitats without proper planning and enforcement.
- Climate resilience: Many existing buildings and infrastructure are not equipped to cope with extreme weather and rising temperatures.
What are we doing?
CIOB is helping lead the shift toward a more sustainable built environment through advocacy, partnerships and professional development. In particular, we:
-
Publish Guidance:We publish best practice tools, case studies and technical guidance, including guides on sustainability, building performance and embodied carbon.
-
Publish Research:We produce research on policies needed to encourage adaptable buildings, prioritise retrofit over demolition, and scale up energy-efficiency improvements.
-
Campaign on Policy Recommendations:We urge Government to assess embodied carbon, incentivise retrofit over rebuild, and release overdue reviews such as the Future Homes Standard and MEES.
-
Raise Professional Standards:We support members to embed sustainability through training, guidance and CPD, detailed on our climate and sustainability campaign page.
-
Utilise our Advisory Panel:Our Sustainability Advisory Panel of experts, industry and CIOB staff advises on materials, guidance and policy for a more sustainable built environment.
What is happening at a policy level?
Governments and global institutions are increasing pressure on the sector to reduce its environmental footprint. Key developments include:
Our Briefings
No results found
Please select another option
Our Campaigns & Positions
No results found
Please select another option
Our Consultations
No results found
Please select another option
Our Research
No results found
Please select another option
Our News & Blogs
CIOB and Content With Purpose to develop ‘Building for Tomorrow’ film series
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is partnering with content creators, Content With Purpose (CWP), to produce a film series exploring how decisions made by built environment professionals today will shape the resilience, sustainability and performance of the world for decades to come.
No results found
Please select another option
Why adequate housing for all must also mean housing in harmony with nature
This year's World Habitat Day theme, Adequate Housing for All, comes at a critical moment. As communities around the world grapple with housing shortages, climate change and growing environmental pressures, the conversation must extend beyond simply building more homes.
Celebrating 20 years of Chartered Environmentalists
A conversation with two of CIOB's first registrants.
Timber and the embodied carbon challenge
How timber construction can help solve the embodied carbon challenge