Sustainable Construction: Shifting the narrative

Summary

We are increasingly seeing current efforts on sustainable construction being labelled as inadequate, with calls to go beyond doing ‘less bad’ to doing ‘more good’. At the same time there is pressure to build more homes and infrastructure to help drive growth, with environmental sustainability sometimes positioned as a barrier rather than an enabler. So how do we navigate these mixed messages and demonstrate leadership for sustainability, ensuring that we are not just doing less harm but also helping to repair environmental damage and revitalise communities?

It is suggested that to address biodiversity loss, climate change, and tackle social inequality, we must go beyond current concepts of sustainability and start applying regenerative principles, ensuring our projects have a net positive benefit. But is it even possible for an industry that uses vast amounts of materials and land to be regenerative? What does this look like in practice?

These are just some of the questions we will explore in our second annual sustainability conference.

Are you considering booking but want to experience the CIOB Sustainability Conference before you commit? Check out our 2024 conference online. Accelerating towards a Net Zero Built Environment.