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.
Established in 2010, the forum provides a platform for the construction industry to debate, develop and influence policy, to disseminate best practice and keep abreast of the latest thinking. Follow the link below for further details
Developed to give a graphic representation of the number of sustainable projects on the go or completed in the West Midlands. The database holds details of the sustainable technologies used in each project and is linked to Google Earth, enabling you to zoom in on specific projects.
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 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
Low Carbon ConstructionOn 30th November, the Paul Morrell led, Innovation and Growth Team, at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published the final draft of their report 'Low Carbon Construction'. Follow the link below to read the full report.
| The Code For Sustainable Homes - UpdateThe november 2010 update of the code was published by Communities and Local Government on 11th November. Follow the links below to the revised technical guidance and a summary of the major changes document. |
The Energy Bill - First ReadingThe governments Energy Bill saw its first outing in the Lords on the 8th December, with a second reading scheduled for the 22nd December. The bill contains long awaited details of the green deal. Follow the links for the detail | Cancun COP16Earlier this month saw the COP 16 International Climate Change Summit take place in Cancun, Mexico, with some degree of success. More details below.
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