The Think Charter

Leaders of the UK’s construction and property sectors today made 10 pledges to tackle climate change as part of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales’s May Day Summit and the Think conference.

The Think Charter was presented to deputy prime minister John Prescott who welcomed the fact that the industry was actually taking real action.

Those who devised the charter included Stanhope director Peter Rogers, Crest Nicholson chief executive Stephen Stone, Building editor Denise Chevin and architect Bill Dunster.

Delegates of Think 07 were asked to sign up to some or all of the pledges.

The 10 pledges range from measures on design and construction of new buildings to reducing the carbon footprint of billions of pounds of property already in use.

They are:

1: To draw up SMART targets for the reduction of carbon emissions, waste and water, and to promote biodiversity.

2: To develop industry-wide, consistent carbon modelling and measurement tools for existing and new buildings to achieve these targets.

3: To halve the amount of construction waste taken to landfill sites every two years.

4: To devise a more effective renewable energy strategy, including district-wide strategies.

5 To encourage landlords and occupiers to share and publish data on buildings’ energy consumption, with the aim of collectively reducing emissions.

6: To adopt operational energy labeling certificates across all buildings.

7: For landlords to adopt a new code on leases which discourages the reinstatement of properties to their original state.

8: To promote the use of lifecycle analysis, including embedded and operational carbon emissions.

9: Every building to have a master `off’ switch.

10: To encourage the adoption across the construction and property industries of the May Day commitment to action.