CIBSE has launched its agenda for tackling climate change in 2006 at a joint reception of business, government and the engineering community, where CIBSE President Donald Leeper announced an ambitious programme of activity.
At the event, run in conjunction with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change, the ODPM's Baroness Andrews gave a speech about her government's plans in this area before Donald Leeper gave an account of the activities in which CIBSE will be involved this year.
Donald spoke about CIBSE's role in mitigating climate change, pointing out that "buildings account for almost half the UK's CO2 emissions and building services engineers have a leading role in reducing these through mitigation and adaptation strategies".
With CIBSE's Carbon 60 initiative now beginning to show results, Donald announced its next major project, "100 Days of Carbon Clean-Up": a challenge to businesses to "have a go" at carbon savings to see what can be achieved even by small measures to save significant carbon emissions through longer term initiatives. And he received an ovation when he urged the government not to drop operational ratings.
Giving a talk on the individual's role in tackling carbon emissions, Dave Hampton, the "Carbon Coach", addressed the impact individuals can have on business culture. Building on this theme, CIBSE patrons gave a presentation on the role business has in developing energy saving culture; in particular, how their voluntary contributions to CIBSE's Carbon 60 project help foster innovation and purpose within our industry.
This event, sponsored by the patrons, was the first of a number that CIBSE intends to hold this year to challenge business to cut carbon emissions. CIBSE has also joined the all party parliamentary group on climate change to get members' voices heard.
In a week dominated by the Montreal Convention on Climate Change, the level of interest in what building services engineers have to say on reducing emissions was tremendous and we had organisations as diverse as BSkyB, Standard Chartered Bank and the World Land Trust, as well as leading figures from the built environment, in attendance. Members congratulated CIBSE on getting their message across and providing the opportunity for them to meet with parliamentarians and business leaders. We were particularly pleased that CIBSE's MP was able to make the event and hope to see members engaging with their local MPs on the carbon issue.
Finally, CIBSE's plans for a register of low-carbon consultants were unveiled. While welcoming the government's commitment to lowering carbon emissions, CIBSE is preparing for a time when regulation will not provide for the level of carbon emission reduction and energy efficiency needed by training its members and other professionals to deliver a "gold standard" in building design and operation. CIBSE anticipates that members of the register will be in demand as more and more companies see the sense and the savings energy efficiency makes to their business.
Source
Building Sustainable Design
No comments yet