Why is it so important for CIOB Members and Fellows to become Chartered Environmentalists?
In many respects the answer is quite simple. Ever since the Neolithic period (9000BC – 5000BC) construction, in any guise, has had an inseparable and insatiable dependency on available natural resources.
Fast forward the best part of 10,000 years and this dependency has become far more demanding, having gone into overdrive as the industrial revolution gained traction from the late 1700s onwards. In a modern-day context, how we respond to the needs of a growing population and the environmental concerns attributable to climate change, adds a further level of challenge for all involved in construction. Typically, how are we to cope with increased incidences of flooding, whether it be tidal, fluvial, pluvial or from rising groundwater?
Conversely, how do we deal with the emerging issue of water stress? Are we to consider water-use neutrality as a future strand of the Building Regulations, albeit it is a concept replete with legislative and land-use planning difficulties? That said, in water stressed parts of the UK (mostly southern England) water companies are actively lobbying for such a fundamental change.
At present, the development community is having to grapple with an issue of environmental concern raised by Natural England. Some 30 or so local planning authorities are imposing planning conditions or moving to outright planning refusal if new development cannot demonstrate nutrient neutrality. Whilst there is statutory responsibility placed on all sewerage companies to ensure treated wastewater effluent quality meets the required standard(s) and does not cause eutrophication of sensitive water bodies, the current impasse has huge repercussions for all building typologies with the provision of an estimated 40,000 new homes currently embargoed.
The Construction Industry is clearly in a very different place. Resource availability, together with the holistic impact of new construction on the environment, is not only recognised by society in general but now woven into almost every fabric of national policy. Principal amongst these policy directions is the aspiration to become carbon neutral by 2050. This, however, begs a compelling question – is it realistically achievable if we are to include embodied carbon? Likewise, if the point of product manufacture is outside of the UK.
Construction products that are sustainably manufactured, together with construction solutions that promote improved environmental sustainability are an integral part in achieving many of these aspirations if not objectives. Moreover, the construction process, from project conception to construction reality, and thereafter, building after-use, involves every conceivable profession involved in the design, construction and delivery process.
In response, CIOB membership is both global and incredibly diverse when it comes to who does what. As a member of the CIOB Chartered Environmentalist Review Panel I have had the privilege of experiencing first hand this eclectic diversity and the positive contribution to environmental sustainability already made by several members of CIOB and who have since become Chartered Environmentalists.
In many respects, each of us has a direct impact on the environment through the decisions we make and how we articulate the importance of environmental sustainability to clients and fellow professionals, especially at key stages in the design and construction process.
It is this diverse wealth of experience and the contribution that each of us can make to the aims of environmental sustainability that differentiates members of CIOB from other professional institutions with limited involvement in certain aspects of construction. As construction professionals, in addition to our clients, we also have an indirect customer, namely the environment. To be able to promote sustainable solutions requires both leadership and the bandwidth of experience and cognitive diversity to look at all aspects of the construction process. Many CIOB members fall into this category. In reality, each of us, irrespective of our role in construction is already involved in making decisions that affect the environment. Therefore, why not pursue formal recognition of these inherent skills, experience and knowledge?
How do we recognise these qualities in CIOB members? The answer once more is quite simple, the award of a national and internationally recognised means of conferring the status of an experienced practitioner in environmental sustainability delivered through the built environment, namely, a Chartered Environmentalist. Moreover, The Society for the Environment is the only recognised chartered body who can confer such an award and given its underlying gravitas, one that is set and measured at master’s degree level.
As we continue the journey towards improved resource efficiency, better environmental outcomes, reduced construction waste, carbon neutrality, climate change mitigation, electric vehicle charging, energy and water use reductions, alternative forms of construction, improved health and safety, sustainable material procurement (to name just a few areas of construction), members of the CIOB are in an advantageous position to demonstrate their skills by way of formal and prized recognition. Care and good conduct of the environment is where our future lies. As a ‘CEnv’ you have the means to demonstrate your leadership qualities, commitment and knowledge of environmental sustainability, in addition to worldwide recognition as a chartered, construction professional.
Find out more about becoming a Chartered Environmentalist by clicking here.