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Green Construction Board to win extra time to help cut construction’s carbon footprint

Business and Enterprise minister Michael Fallon will next week put new support behind the industry’s drive to reduce the carbon impact of construction and infrastructure by extending the life of the Green Construction Board (GCB).

Michael Fallon

Key representatives of the Green Construction Board, including co-chair Skanska chief executive Mike Putnam, will join Fallon at an event to celebrate the second anniversary of the board on Monday and provide an update on its work over the last year. But crucially it wil also set out the GCB's new agenda for the next twelve months. 

The Green Construction Board’s plans for the forthcoming twelve months wil be set out at an event at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills on the morning of Monday 10 February. The morning will include a panel discussion with key GCB and working groups members.

Entry is by invitation only; if you would like to register your interest in attending, please send your name and company details to:

Nicola.Walters@bis.gsi.gov.uk as soon as possible.

In key note speeches, both Fallon MP and Peter Hansford, Government chief construction advisor, will emphasise the need for industry to reduce its carbon but also to exploit the huge business potential of the growing sustainability agenda.

The joint government industry sponsored board will continue to be led by Fallon and Putnam and operate through its existing six working groups to help industry to understand the opportunities.

The global green and sustainable building industry is forecast to grow at an annual rate of nearly 23% between now and 2017 underlining the fact that the green agenda represents a major business opportunity.

Each working group was charged two years ago with considering key issues facing the full breadth of the industry and delivering a comprehensive programme of activity to help the exploit the benefits emerging from the low carbon opportunities. 

Two working groups have a sector focus – infrastructure and buildings – and a third group is looking at the valuation process for different market sectors and the potential to stimulate demand. 

The final three look at key themes that apply generically across the industry: knowledge and skills; greening the industry; and promotion.

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The Green Construction Board was established in October 2011 to provide strategic leadership to the sector on this agenda as well as own and monitor the implementation of the actions in the Low Carbon Construction Action Plan. 

It draws together Government and industry to discuss the business opportunities which will be created by the transition to more sustainable economy - how best to take advantage of them.  

Since the publication of Construction 2025 in July last year, it also has a key role in delivering the ambition of reducing Carbon emissions by 50% by 2025.

In the shorter term, its key priority is to provide improved focus, direction and clarity to the business and growth opportunities which are being created by the shift to a green economy.

Its purpose is to:

- Provide co-ordinated leadership across Government and industry on the issues contained in the Low Carbon Construction Action Plan;
- Monitor the delivery of that action plan and, through its development, ensure it remains relevant and appropriate;
- Act as a sounding board for government departments for new or challenging green construction issues to facilitate effective policy making and better informed commercial decisions.
- Advise on the implementation of policies related to green construction, identifying sector specific implications and consequences; and
- Promote UK achievements in the field of green construction and provide a strong public voice on its wider value to the economy, to society and to the environment.

 

 

If you would like to contact Antony Oliver about this, or any other story, please email antony.oliver@infrastructure-intelligence.com.