5 things we learned from the Young Professionals Climate Conference

In November 2021, in the wake of COP26, the Young Employees Forum in Bath invited over 60 local young professionals from 24 different companies to discuss what they are doing to combat climate change.

The Young Professionals Climate Conference included discussion on the outcomes of COP26 as well as considerations for how professionals can implement a positive change in their day-to-day roles and influence decision-makers. As the world implements the key conclusions drawn from COP26, what points did our next generation consider to be most important to our battle against climate change? Here are 5 key ideas that came out of the conference.

1. Be informed

It’s important to bring everyone up to a similar level of knowledge about carbon. Achieving this first level of understanding will allow us to use carbon calculation tools and analyse results. From this data, we can then understand what different buildings of low embodied and operational carbon look like. Only once we all understand the terminology, the tools, and best practice can we advise clients. Sharing this knowledge and data at all levels is crucial to the industry-wide improvements needed. We also need to be aware of ‘carbon tunnel vision’ and consider that sustainability is more than just carbon. We should also consider aspects such as biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and inequality. 

2. Set benchmarks and targets

In order to ensure that everyone is held accountable, targets should be set, not only by clients and designers, but also by local authorities. This will allow us to benchmark our carbon, rate against other schemes, track progress and aim for reductions. We also need to pressure key decision-makers to set and enforce targets to ensure that everyone is engaged. 

3. Engage and educate clients 

Early engagement from all stakeholders around the topic of sustainability is key to unlocking the biggest savings and the easiest wins, stemming from concept design. Companies should offer training on how to discuss this with clients to ensure sufficient understanding and education across the board. This will allow clients to embrace sustainable decision-making and be proactive. It is important that companies and clients are held to account and that they continually assess the carbon impact of their designs at each stage of the process. 

4. Reuse wherever possible

Rather than always building new, we should look at reusing existing building stock where possible. It is also important to consider flexible future use of designs and designing adaptive buildings. Standardised, re-usable components would aid this approach, along with improved life cycle assessments for reused elements. We should always consider the end of life and the potential for deconstruction or re-use. 

5. Focus on materials

There should be a strong emphasis on materials and considering sustainable options. This can be through sourcing and shopping locally, using more timber, and having an understanding of where materials come from. There should be a push at earlier stages to increase design utilisation and reduce material quantities as using less is always better. Alternative materials, which are more sustainable, should be considered, even if it’s only for part of a project. 

This event was delivered by Jenny Baldwin, Olivia Hughes, and Storm-Dominique Hayward from the Bath YEF.