Sustainability is The Priority

Before the recession, sustainability was just getting recognition as a serious issue for the UK property industry. I was working as Sustainable Development Director for a national property developer at the time, in which capacity I initiated and spoke at a conference in May 2008, hosted in association with the Scottish Property Federation at the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, on the theme "Selling Sustainability". When the recession hit just a few months later, the gains made by the sustainability agenda were virtually wiped out. However, the messages delivered at the conference remain equally, if not more, valid today.

The conference attracted a broad range of delegates, some of whom were strongly committed to the "green" agenda, whilst others were obviously equally cynical about it. My message to both groups was the same: it doesn't matter what you believe about climate change, whether it is man-made or not, and what impact it might have, the reality is that we are using up the earth's natural resources faster than they can be replenished, and releasing a vast array of pollutants into the environment which are toxic to all life. That is obviously unsustainable and must be changed.

How to make those changes with regard to buildings? Make sustainability the priority in any project from the outset. By doing so, the maximum benefit will be achieved at minimal (if any) additional cost. Most projects operate under tight budgetary constraints, and there will inevitably come a time when something has to be cut. If the sustainability "features" have only been included as add-ons, it is all too easy to see them as a low priority and the first to go. That is why it is essential that sustainability never be seen as an optional extra, but something that is fully integrated into all aspects of the building process.

At the conference I said that "we hope to inspire those who attend to try and achieve real and substantial gains in the industry, challenge those sectors involved in the acquisition process to start putting a value on sustainability, the merits of which can be passed on to the developer and construction industry, and provide a significant platform for debate on sustainable development in Scotland.” I can make no great claims to having achieved that since then, but it remains my objective.

British Property Federation - SPF sets Scotland's green agenda

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