Construction minister Nigel Griffiths MP made it clear that Government and industry must work together to solve the problems of climate change, energy efficiency and security of energy supplies.
Speaking at the CIBSE/ASHRAE conference Griffiths revealed that there is to be a summit on building regulations in October this year, where key ministers including John Prescott and Margaret Beckett will examine "how we can improve all aspects of construction".

Speaking on sustainability, Griffiths said: "No challenge is greater, no task more vital, no project more urgent - our survival is at stake." He added that no group was better placed than engineers in CIBSE and ASHRAE to help deal with the issue.

Griffiths agreed with other speakers at the conference when he said that energy efficiency is a key tool in mitigating climate change. He emphasised that there must be good business sense behind all policies: "We need to ensure industry makes the type of return on investment that allows it to invest in further research and development."

The minister said that the resolution of problems must be shared by all and tackled from several directions at once. "There is no single measure in itself which can achieve the objectives set out in the Energy White Paper. And we as Government are unable to achieve this on our own. We need the support of industry stakeholders – it is vital to all our interests in the long term."

As well as sustainability, Griffiths was also keen to emphasise the UK's increasingly urgent need for secure energy: "The decline of indigenous energy supplies is a key issue. Current energy demand exceeds production. Nearly half of the UK's coal is now imported and by 2006 we will be a net importer of gas. We need to update the UK's energy infrastructure."

Griffiths emphasised the importance of CIBSE's role, saying: "Let us look back on this event in years to come and say this was a milestone in securing our sustainable future."

Source

Building Sustainable Design