Construction industry to develop environmental guidelines

The UK’s Green Building Council (GBC) has begun a consultation to develop a new Code for Sustainable Building.

Government targets stipulate that all new homes must be zero-carbon by 2016, and all new non-domestic buildings must be zero-carbon by 2019.

The GBC believes current legislation on green building standards is confusing and disparate, and if government targets are to be met then sustainable building practices need to be unified into a single code of good practice.

A six month GBC-led consultation to develop the code will start this month and will decide what practices builders and developers need to adopt to ensure a zero carbon construction industry by 2019.

Businesses and organisations from across the construction industry will be asked for their input into the consultation, including what standards should be included in the new code, how the code should be developed and implemented, and how it will work internationally.

Paul King, chief executive of GBC UK, will lead the consultation, which will end in February 2009 with a final Code for Sustainable building being presented in March.

King hopes that the consultation will result in a ‘clear and practical route map’ for the construction industry.

As well as tackling the issue of carbon, the code will aim to incorporate other environmental and green practices.

John Alker from the GBC said that the code will ‘go beyond’ carbon and consider environmental issues as wide ranging as waste management, water use, and the impact of new buildings upon biodiversity.

He added that the code will be fully open source, meaning that construction companies will be able to edit and improve it, and incorporate elements of the code into their own guidelines without infringing upon copyright.

The proposed code and consultation has received widespread suport from the construction industry.

Rab Bennetts, director of architect business Bennetts Associates, said that it will offer joined up thinking, clarity, and strategic direction.