Built Environment
Creating a sustainable built environment is essential to enabling people to live within environmental limits whilst maximising quality of life.
The SDC's work on the built environment covers the construction process and the performance of buildings in use (how they meet the needs of occupants, how efficiently they use resources).
We are currently undertaking projects in the following areas:
 |
Neighbourhood |
|
New Homes and Communities |
|
Existing Housing |
|
Schools |
The way buildings are designed, constructed and managed will determine the UK’s ability to achieve its sustainable development goals.
Our buildings should enable all people to live well, within environmental limits. They should reduce whole life carbon and materials costs by enabling resource efficient operation (energy, waste, water). They should provide internal environments that contribute to physical and mental health and enhance creativity and productivity. Buildings should be designed to be flexible and adaptable to future uses, and be resilient to cope with local effects of climate change.
|
“Around 80% of the population live in urban areas. While new buildings add at most 1% a year to the existing stock, the other 99% of buildings are already built and produce 27% of all carbon emissions. At least 80% of the current housing stock will still be standing in 2050. Therefore tackling its energy efficiency is vital to our future.” - Anne Power, SDC Commissioner |
As one of the UK’s leading industries, construction is responsible for over 8% of GDP and employs over 2 million people. Fifty percent of carbon emissions come from the construction and operation of our built environment. Over 90% of non-energy minerals extracted in the UK are supplied as construction materials, and the industry annually produces three times the amount of waste generated by all UK households combined. Just over 30% of the sector’s output by value is bought by the public sector.
The SDC believes that the government can catalyse a sustainable built environment through:
• Enabling: removing barriers to the creation of a sustainable built environment, and raising the knowledge base of building performance
• Engaging: working with all built environment stakeholders to develop ambitious, deliverable policies across the sector
• Encouraging: creating incentives and regulation to catalyse action
• Exemplifying: using public sector leadership and influence to stimulate markets.
The SDC works with government departments on developing policy frameworks to drive sustainable construction, procurement and operation. Through research and case studies we are building a case for raising standards and investing in a sustainable built environment to bring reductions in resource use and multiple benefits to those who use these buildings and spaces.
Suggested reading
» Building Houses or Creating Communities?
» Stock Take: Delivering improvements in existing housing
Further Information on Sustainable Built Environment
• Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method
• Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe)
• Carbon Trust - The Carbon Trust supports the development of low carbon technologies, and helps business and the public sector cut carbon emissions
• Climate Change and your home
• DEFRA - Sustainable development, energy efficiency and waste policy
• Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) - Sustainable Construction, energy policy including microgeneration
• Department for Communities and Local Government - Building regulations, housing, planning, communities and the Thames Gateway
• Department for Transport (DfT) - Integrating travel planning into the planning process
• Energy Saving Trust (EST) - Promoting the sustainable and efficient use of energy in housing, transport and communities
• Environment Agency - carbon calculator for construction activities
• REVIVAL - The EU supported REVIVAL project was set up in 2002, with the aim of reducing energy consumption and other negative environmental impacts of existing non-domestic buildings
• Sponge
• UK Green Building Council
Our Team
If you have questions about the work of the SDC in this area or would like to contribute, please contact Elizabeth Chatterjee
