On the 20th June 2019 representatives from 25 built and natural environment and other stakeholder organisations met with the Chair of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), Lord Deben, to discuss the need for action in the face of climate breakdown. The meeting accepted in full the CCC’s recommendations in their May 2019 report that the UK must and would be able to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and welcomed the Government’s announcement that this was shortly to be enshrined in legislation.

The following organisations* have now agreed to collaborate on an urgent and concerted response to achieving the 2050 target; to continue to work together to establish shared standards and practice; and to continue to develop professional resources, capacity and competencies within the sector capable of meeting that aim both domestically and internationally. The organisations have accepted the invitation of the CCC to co-operate on meeting the UK net zero carbon objectives.

• British Standards Institution (BSI)

• Commonwealth Association of Architects

• Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)

• Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT)

• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)

• Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH)

• Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)

• Construction Products Association (CPA)

• Forum for the Future

• Good Homes Alliance

• InnovateUK

• Institute of Chartered Foresters+

• Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA)

• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)

• Institution of Structural Engineers

• Landscape Institute

• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

• Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)

• Society for the Environment (SocEnv)

• the Edge

• UK Built Environment Advisory Group

• UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

• University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

+ Institutions added following issue of Press Statement

Downloads:

Edge Climate Action Round Table Press Statement 190701

Committee on Climate Change Net Zero report

UKGBC - Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Framework Definition

• What do we know about the successes and failures of built environment policy?
• Can we learn anything from recent experience?
• What role should professionals play in influencing policy-making and its effective delivery?

In July 2015 the refereed journal Building Research and Information (BRI) published a Special Issue, “Closing the Policy Gaps: From Formulation to Outcomes”, guest edited by Simon Foxell and Ian Cooper. This Edge event used the BRI Special Issue as the basis for an in-depth examination of the relationship between built environment professionals and the policies and politics that underpin so much of what they eventually design and build.

The editorial of the Special Issue notes: “it is apparent that built environment professionals need to develop and maintain an informed knowledge base on why and how policy initiatives work. Such a knowledge base would both assist professionals to input into and work directly and effectively with those policy processes that define their ability to deliver successful projects and professional bodies to better fulfill their public interest obligations in relation to built environment policy.”

The debate examined policy for the built environment from the perspective of recent experience and consider proposals for new approaches with responses from invited commentators before the discussion is opened to the audience.

Chair: Simon Rawlinson, Head of Strategic Research and Insight at Arcadis UK and member of the Construction Leadership Council

Speakers:
Dr. Richard Simmons, Bartlett School of Planning at UCL. Author of ‘Constraints on evidence-based policy: insights from government practice’, BRI Vol. 43, No. 4

Dr. Kathryn Janda, University of Oxford. Co-author of ‘Telling Tales: using stories to remake energy policy’, BRI Vol. 43, No. 4
John Alker, Policy and Communications Director, UKGBC
Professor Fionn Stevenson, University of Sheffield
Clare Devine, Director Design Council Cabe
Ian Cooper, Eclipse Research Consultants. Co-guest editor
Simon Foxell, The Architects Practice. Co-guest editor

Date, Time: 5.30 – 9.00pm Tuesday 10th November 2015

Venue: Design Council, Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London EC1V 4AB

Reference:

Building Research & Information: The Special issue of Building Research & Information Vol. 43, No. 4

Downloads:

1. Edge debate 70: Does built environment policy work? - Event sheet

2. Introduction presentation - S Foxell

3. R Simmons presentation 151110

The third session in the Inquiry was on the subject of society’s expectation of built environment professionals.

The Inquiry is examining the way forward for the professional organisations in the construction industry, taking evidence from a range of bodies and individuals. Evidence gathering sessions will be held in public as a series of Edge Debates in the early part of 2014 each looking at a separate theme and with input and evidence from appropriate professional bodies and other witnesses. Written submissions to the commission will also be welcomed.

The third debate addressed Society: and “How can professionals working across the built environment and their institutions maintain relevance and deliver value to society?”

Chair: Paul Morrell

Speakers:
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive RSA
Colin Haylock, Immediate Past President, RTPI
Barry Clarke, Immediate Past President, ICE
Sue Illman, President LI

Venue: The Building Centre, 26 Store St, London WC1E 7BT

If you would like to attend the series of debates comprising the Commission of Inquiry on Future professionalism please email the Edge at contact@edgedebate.com. Please note that spaces are very limited.

Debate sponsored by Rehau
Commission sponsored by The Ove Arup Foundation

Downloads:

- Session 3 Report (Edge Debate 62) Future professionalism: Society
- Edge Commission - Session 3: Speakers’ notes
- Robin Nicholson’s blog at cullinanstudio.blogspot.co.uk 8.5.13
- Twitter stream from the 3rd Commission session on ‘Society’
- Commission Summary (Note no. 7)
- Edge CoI on Future Professionalism - timetable (Note no.8)
- The Commission - Objective & remit (Note no. 9)
- Further reading