SEARCH THIS SITE

UK-GBC launches Call for Action campaign on World Green Building Day

23/9/2009

The UK-GBC and industry representatives lead campaign to highlight the importance of carbon savings from buildings.

Today, on World Green Building Day, the UK Green Building Council and industry leaders have launched the Call to Action campaign to highlight the importance of carbon savings from buildings ahead of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Copenhagen, 7-18 December 2009.

The UK-GBC and industry representatives launched Call to Action at a House of Commons reception hosted by Emily Thornberry MP. Call to Action is one of a series of synchronised events around the world to highlight carbon savings from buildings. CO2 emissions from the built environment account for more than half of all carbon dioxide emissions.

Paul King, chief executive of the UK-GBC and chair of the World Green Building Council Policy Task Force, said: ″Today, Green Building Councils and their members around the world are speaking with one voice and calling for buildings to get the profile they deserve in the climate change talks. There is no bigger, more cost-effective option for achieving the global cuts in carbon emissions than our buildings over the next few years.

″The Kyoto Treaty rightly acknowledges the role that deforestation, transport and energy generation play in contributing to climate change. However, buildings have been poor relations up to now. Inclusion of buildings within the Copenhagen Agreement would encourage the setting of ambitious targets for carbon reductions for the building sector and create the framework within which industry is incentivised to make those dramatic cuts.″

″In the UK, Government has taken a welcome lead on setting targets for zero carbon new buildings, but we need to see a bigger effort to cut emissions from our existing stock, the vast majority of which will still be standing in 2050.″

Rory Bergin, head of sustainability and innovation at HTA architects, said: ″As members of the Green Building Council we support this initiative. There is still considerable inertia in the construction industry regarding the green agenda, cost effective measures are still not being taken up and there is more that the UK Government can do to speed the process up.″

Other events taking place on World Green Building Day include: The US Green Building Council which is holding a Congressional Advocacy Day at the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC. In Germany, certified green buildings will open their doors to the public to give visitors an inside-view into built examples of sustainability.

For more information on the Call to Action campaign, go to the UK-GBC website.