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Sustainability of the built environment examined

8 July 2021

Marking its first evidence session of the Sustainability of the Built Environment inquiry, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) hears from witnesses including Lord Deben from the Climate Change Committee, the UK Green Building Council and RIBA.

Witnesses

Wednesday 14 July 2021

At 2.30pm

  • The Rt Hon John Gummer, Lord Deben, Chair of the Climate Change Committee
  • Emily Huynh, Technical Adviser for Advancing Net Zero, UK Green Building Council
  • Dr Tia Kansara, entrepreneur and co-founder, Kansara Hackney Ltd

At 3.30pm

  • Dr Danielle Densley Tingley, Senior Lecturer in Architectural Engineering, University of Sheffield
  • Phoebe MacDonald, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Advisor, RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)
  • Jane Anderson, Board Member, Alliance for Sustainable Building Products

The built environment accounts for roughly 40% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. Government policy commits to building around 1.5 million new homes by 2022. There is a significant opportunity to consider how to develop a built environment which complements the UK’s low carbon goals.

The session will provide an overview of the UK Built Environment and sustainable build policy landscape, before delving into issues such as:

  • A whole-life carbon approach;
  • Embodied carbon;
  • The planning system;
  • Permitted development rights;
  • Government incentives concerning new build and retrofit.

Further information

Image: CC0