Areas of activity
Environmental design and construction
Buildings are responsible for almost half the UK’s carbon emissions – from their construction, maintenance and demolition, to the energy needed to heat them, light them and power the myriad of electrical equipment upon which modern life depends, there is a carbon cost at every stage. The construction industry also uses large quantities of natural resources and creates large amounts of waste, activities which raise a number of other environmental concerns.
Careful design and construction can minimise these costs to the environment in a number of ways. The Sustainable Development team is currently preparing an Environmental Design and Construction Guide for the Council, which will pull together best practice guidance and existing national, regional and local policies to ensure that all Council buildings are built and maintained to a high environmental standard. The Guide will cover the following themes:
- Energy: designing for low energy use, energy conservation and efficiency, renewable energy
- Water: water conservation and recycling, minimising flood risk and surface water pollution, managing ground conditions
- Materials: construction materials, fixtures and fittings, paints and finishes
- Waste: construction and demolition waste, designing for waste minimisation in use
- Travel: car parking, walking and cycling.
Useful links
Strategy for Sustainable Construction|
The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) have published a strategy which details specific actions for industry and Government within the arena of sustainable construction – topics covered include climate change mitigation and adaptation, water, waste and materials.
Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers|
The Chartered Insititute of Building Service Engineers have produced a new Guide L: Sustainability , designed to help engineers and construction professionals improve the environmental performance of buildings.
Carbon Reductions in New Non-Domestic Buildings|
Opportunities for achieving zero carbon in new builds is investigated in the UK Green Building Council’s report.
Sustainable Design, Climate Change and the Built Environment|
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has set out a programme promoting design as a solution to climate change.
The Carbon Trust|
Currently offer a free design advice for all new build projects over 10,000m² in area.
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