The CIOB is putting its weight behind the Global Alliance for Building Sustainability (GABS), a new group that promotes sustainability in construction. The aim is to share information about sustainability, initially by making it available on the web.
Although the built environment consumes around 50% of global resources, according to a CIOB report, the construction and property industries are generally suspicious or unaware of sustainability initiatives.

For construction managers, the attitude of the employer will make all the difference. "If your organisation thinks the S-word is a dirty word, then it's pretty irrelevant because it has to be built into the core business at policy level," says Alan Gilham of the RICS Foundation. "But major construction companies like Laing, Skanska and Bovis Lend Lease want to be seen as ethical and have no wish to be excluded from social and environmental funding, which is going from strength to strength."

Ambitious construction managers who see their future as linked to the demands of clients will want to give them what they want. That means selecting materials and systems with an eye to sustainability, environmental effects and long-term impact as well as installation cost.

The RICS Foundations launched the GABS initiative a year ago to draw together policymakers and practitioners. Last month the alliance of businesses, professional groups, government bodies and non-government agencies held an inaugural meeting in Johannesburg to coincide with the world summit on sustainable development.

Source

Construction Manager