APPG for EBE Inquiry into Sustainable Construction & the Green Deal

The All Party Parliamentary Committee for Excellence in the Built Environment is launching a far reaching inquiry into sustainable construction and the Green Deal, and it is calling on firms, organisations and individuals in the sector to submit evidence on best practice, challenges and barriers.
Buildings account for nearly 50% of all carbon dioxide emissions and reducing the carbon footprint of our new and existing buildings is vital if the UK is to reach its ambitious carbon reduction targets. In the last five years the UK government and the EU has introduced a raft of legislation to further these aims. This includes the code for sustainable homes, more stringent building regulations and the Green Deal – the instrument intended to kick start a revolution in retrofitting.
But is the industry playing its part? Is sustainability suffering in the recession? What more can be done to promote green construction in public and private sector building projects? We would like feedback on the spectrum of green construction and policies. These include:
• Evidence of best practice of sustainable construction in the built environment – and how this could be repeated?
• Barriers to sustainable construction – what is holding the industry back and how could this be improved?
• Progress on sustainable homes – too much too fast?
• The Green Deal – is the policy the right one? What can be done to ensure take up?
The closing date for evidence submissions is 30 November 2012.
The APPG for EBE Commission of Inquiry comprises of members of both Houses of Parliament, senior members of the construction professions and key influencers and decision makers in other aspects of society. The Commission will hold sessions in January to March 2013 to invite selected organisations to present oral evidence in support of their submissions. This will be the Committee’s second report. It recently published a better deal for public building which set out a number of measures for improving construction procurement; including adopting the 2012 Construction Commitments on all public building projects over £100m.

The findings of the Inquiry will be published before the parliamentary recess in early summer 2013.
Sir Tony Baldry chairman of the APPG for EBE said “The Group has been very pleased with the outcome of the Commission’s first Inquiry and is keen to press on with an annual commitment to investigate matters of great public importance in relation to the creation and maintenance of our built environment. The contribution of the built environment to climate change is immense and if the UK government is to meet its challenging targets for reducing carbon emissions then much has to be done to take carbon out of the construction and use of our buildings and facilities. So, we are looking for the best ideas in Green Construction – including how we can get the best out of the Green Deal – and invite evidence from clients and the industry to demonstrate the innovations that are already taking place or planned”.