Buro Happold expert on working group behind low carbon construction report

18/03/2010 Written by: Chris White

Andrew Comer, Director of Infrastructure and Environment, on Infrastructure Working Group

Emerging findings on the challenges and opportunities for the construction sector were published yesterday from the Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team (IGT).

The IGT aims to identify how the construction industry can best deliver the future carbon reduction commitments for 2020 and beyond. Chaired by the Chief Construction Adviser Paul Morrell, the emerging findings highlight the challenge for the industry and its customers to work together in new ways to reduce costs, stimulate innovation and develop a clear proposition for low carbon retrofit and new build.

The IGT comprises experts from the construction industry and from Government. It will publish its final report later in the year, including recommendations to Government to help inform policy development.

The interim findings identify four major opportunities for the sector if the challenges and barriers are effectively addressed:

• to carry out a huge programme of work, stretched out over at least the next 40 years
• to make use of that workload to reform the structure and practice of the industry
• to export the products and skills of a modernised industry
• to excite future generations of potential recruits into an industry with a noble cause

The Secretary of State for Business, Lord Mandelson, said “The Construction Industry is central to the UK meeting our stretching carbon targets and I welcome the findings from the construction IGT which clearly show they are up to this challenge.

"As we have seen as part of our New Industry, New Jobs programme, there are huge business opportunities for growth and green jobs in the low carbon economy which will benefit construction. To support the industry to take advantage of this we are also setting up a National Skills Academy for green building services."

Welcoming the emerging findings, Business Minister Ian Lucas said: “The Low Carbon Transition Plan is a strategy for the construction industry.  The IGT has recognised the size of the opportunity it presents. The construction industry provides huge value to the economy and the Government will not be able to hit its low carbon targets without the active engagement and participation of the whole sector.

“Today’s announcement that London is to be designated a Low Carbon Economic Area for energy efficient buildings is the latest in a series of endorsements that the Government has made for new skills and growth in the construction industry.”

A key issue in retrofitting housing and other buildings is the scale of the opportunity.  The Low Carbon Economic Areas in Manchester and, following today’s announcement, London are examples of how we can brigade action to improve the energy efficiency of the built environment on a broad scale.

Chief Construction Adviser, Paul Morrell, said “No one should underestimate the sheer scale of the opportunity the transition to a low carbon economy will offer the construction industry. The requirement for low carbon construction is probably the biggest change management programme that the industry has faced since Victorian times.

“The industry and Government need to rise to this challenge. Only by working together will the full benefits accrue to the UK economy and help drive the growth and new jobs we all seek. The Emerging Findings are the first part of that process. They have set out the shape of the dialogue we need to have. I am looking forward to working with the industry and Government to build these into a construction industry led delivery plan all are willing and able to commit to.”

The final report from the IGT will be presented to the Government at the end of 2010.