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On the 27th July Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, gave the green light to a single national industry Code for Sustainable Building Practice. The Code has been initiated by John Prescott, Environmental Secretary Margaret Beckett, and Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt, as a way of reducing the country’s CO2 emissions, 50% of which in the UK are produced by the construction, occupying and maintenance of buildings. These reductions, according to the Code, will be brought about through an increase in the quality and sustainability of new and refurbished buildings, with a focus on key areas such as water and energy savings, the use of timber and other construction materials, and waste reduction.
The Code is designed to reduce energy and water consumption in all new developments by 25% and picks up on the recommendations of the Sustainable Buildings Task Group (SBTG) report, in which representatives from the private, public and non-governmental sectors highlight ways in which industry and the Government can work together to promote sustainable development.
Giving the go ahead to the Code, John Prescott said: “This is the best opportunity we have had for generations to change the way we build. By doing things differently we will benefit both people and the planet. It is time to apply the highest environmental standards to the new and existing building stock if we are to tackle climate change and achieve high quality design for communities where people will want to live now and in the future”.
The Code is seen by some as a timely update to existing guidelines and standards. The SBTG suggested in its report that the new Code should replace and consolidate a “confusing” array of existing environmental standards for the construction industry, including the Eco Homes scheme and the BREEAM ratings, both of which are run by the Building Research Establishment (BRE). Launching the SBTG report, Sir John Harman of the Environment Agency stated: “We believe that the construction, development and house building industries have not yet subscribed to much of the sustainability agenda and have not been persuaded of the long-term benefits. The Code for Sustainable Buildings would provide them with a level playing field for quality buildings”,
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has predominantly welcomed the Government commitment to taking forward the Sustainable Buildings Task Group report recommendation to set up a Code for Sustainable Building.
TCPA Policy Officer, Robert Shaw, said; “This is an important step towards bringing more sustainable houses into the mainstream. The TCPA has long called for higher standards that go beyond the requirements of the Building Regulations. The new Code will set the standard for future changes to the regulations and will help create more certainty and prior warning of what is to come for the industry. A major shortcoming of the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan was its failure to set higher standards of sustainability in all the new buildings that would be involved.” He continued, regarding the timing of the new Code; “This announcement has not come a moment too soon if the recommendations are to have an impact on the 200,000 or so additional homes for the South East, set out in the Plan.”
Despite positive reactions, the Code has attracted criticism from, among others, the BRE who accuse it of ignoring specific procedures, such as post-construction pressure testing, that would have a direct impact on the production of CO2 emissions, the reduction of which is identified by the SBTG as one of the primary aims of the implementation of the Code. Such criticisms include the lack of focus on specific ways of reducing CO2 emissions. This suggests a tokenistic code produced by the government in order to demonstrate commitment to CO2 reduction which has not in fact been fully investigated. By focusing on energy and water efficiency, the Code has neglected a full investigation of other methods of CO2 reduction, for example “closed loop” systems of construction like those researched by the BRE, where construction materials obtained from disused buildings take the place of new materials, minimizing the energy required for the manufacturing of new materials
When we asked the views of the organisation, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), its representative responded with the following comment; “It seems a bit early to be criticising detail of a code that doesn’t yet exist. CABE are working with the Housing Corporation and ODPM to develop a Standard that consolidates the existing codes, rationalising the current playing field and building on the demands of the SBTG. It will go much further than just requirements to reduce CO2 and will set a Standard for Sustainable Development in its fullest terms (as defined by Egan in his Skills Review). We think that a Code for Sustainable Building Practice has considerable benefit if it includes social, economic and cultural sustainability as well as building construction and performance.”
Annie Hall, head of Sustainability for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) - ConstructionSkills had a similar comment; “It is probably too early to comment on the code as inevitably there is still work to be done before it becomes ‘active’. At CITB - ConstructionSkills we would hope to be working with those involved in the further development of the code and its implementation to ensure that associated skills development is considered at the same time.
There was a recommendation from the Sustainable Buildings Task Group report identifying skills as one of the biggest challenges in delivering improved standards (for sustainability) in the construction sector. It should also be noted that the Egan Skills Report and its proceeding work to set up a National Centre for Sustainable Community Skills, will capture many of the skills requirements relating to sustainable construction, and this is to be welcomed. CITB-ConstructionSkills is involved in the Steering Group for the new Code and in other initiatives to promote sustainable construction more widely.
The Code, along with other initiatives, can only serve to move both standards for sustainable building/construction and associated skills forward.”
We invited many organisations to comment including the RIBA and the House Builders Federation, most failed to respond. Perhaps the vagueness and ambiguity of the code at this stage makes it difficult for these bodies to construct an objective view or criticism.
Let’s conclude with the words of Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett who suggested that “we should demand the highest environmental standards possible in all our buildings to ensure that future homes and communities are sustainable and where people want to live”. A commendable statement, let’s just hope that what comes out at the other end in 2005/6 will be worth waiting for.
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