White Cross School, HerefordSustainable Construction is a very broad topic which in a website such as this cannot cover everything. We have therefore selected subjects which we believe to be topical and of interest to all sectors of the Construction Industry in the West Midlands.
According to the Department of Business Innovation & Skills (website will change by March 2010), the output of the construction industry, be it public buildings, commercial buildings, homes or infrastructure such as our roads, harbours and see defences, has a major impact on our ability to maintain a sustainable economy overall and has a major impact on our environment. It is clear that we cannot meet our declared environmental targets without dramatically reducing the environment impact of buildings and infrastructure construction. We have to change the way we design and build. Further background to Climate Change Sustainability can be found on the Climate Change Background page including reference to the UK Government 'Strategy for Sustainable Construction'.
According to the UK Green Building Council, the Built Environment has a great deal of influence over our daily lives, from our homes to our places of work, learning and leisure. Buildings have significant impact on the environment, through the emissions of greenhouse gases, the production of waste, the consumption of water, timber and other materials.
The WMCCE offer is to help the construction industry to understand what is necessary to achieve Sustainable Construction, by working closely with the industry, universities and colleges, and with specialists in Sustainable Construction.
There are various initiatives in progress within the West Midlands Region and elsewhere as well as innovations that are being developed.
The selected topics, so far, are:
WMCCE works closely with Sustainability West Midlands and the Sustainable Housing Action Partnership and is establishing a West Midlands Sustainable Built Environment Forum.
