Embedding Sustainability Conference

Climate change is having a massive impact on the world around us, and construction professionals are already witnessing its effects. From buildings that overheat in summer, to extreme rainfall and flash flooding damaging the structural integrity of buildings. It is now becoming increasingly apparent that change needs to happen fast, and that is why this year’s theme for CABE Annual Conference was embedding sustainability.

Along with other countries, the UK government has set ambitious targets to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050, and as a part of the construction industry, CABE intends to do all it can to reach this target and help members to do so as well. 

Not only do we need to recognise damaging practices, but we all need to adapt the way building projects are planned, specified, and delivered, to ensure that their environmental impact is minimised. The hope is that these targets, once achieved, will start to tackle these evident effects of climate change. 

Throughout the conference, we were joined by a plethora of speakers including:

• Julie James the Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change, who focused on legislation and regulations that the Welsh government is implementing to meet the demands for net zero carbon
• Dr Deborah Adkins, Senior Lecturer, and renowned researcher at the University of West of England, who opened our eyes to the challenges that we face and explained the importance of Building Engineers rising to the challenge now
• Dr Shamir Ghumra, Head of Building Performance at the Building Research Establishment, he discussed the third-party accreditations that can be used to prove a buildings green credentials, their importance, and the future evolution of such schemes; and
• Chris Paul, Head of Energy and Sustainability at law firm Trowers & Hamlins, who looked at the legal considerations of embedding sustainability into a project, the common pitfalls to avoid, and the opportunities to explore.
  

By sharing knowledge and experiences it helps us to discover new ideas, processes, and ways to protect the world that we live in.

As we all start on the path toward net-zero carbon, we need to think differently, consider alternatives, and embed sustainability throughout every stage of a project. By changing our mindset, building professionals like yourself will leave behind a better world for the next generation.