Environment Audit Committee Carbon Inquiry

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Environment Audit Committee Carbon Inquiry
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ACAN are encouraging and coordinating responses to the EAC Inquiry

We would like to draw your attention to a recently launched Environmental Audit Committee inquiry into the climate and carbon impact of construction and construction materials.

As this is an important opportunity to influence Parliament’s outlook on this matter and potentially encourage changes to legislation, ACAN are keen to ensure the inquiry receives evidence from a wide representation.

ACAN hope by gathering a strong response they can crystalise the inaction in current policies, and illustrate the appetite, potential, and route forward for measurement and regulation.

The inquiry and questions they are seeking specific input on can be found here:

how-can-the-construction-industry-become-net-zero-ready

It in turn refers to other documents:

Inquiry: Sustainability of the built environment

Which in turn refer to other documents:

[1] MHCLG, 2018 Single Departmental Plan, Housing Supply (access 16 September 2020)
[2] UCL, Embodied carbon factsheet (accessed 16 September 2020).
[3] Build, Build, Build, 30 June 2020 (accessed 16 September 2020)
[4] A full technical specification for the Future Homes Standard will be consulted on in 2023, with the necessary legislation introduced in 2024, ahead of implementation in 2025.
[5] Discussion between Committee Team and Green Building Council
[6] Guardian, 6 June 2020, Do you want beautiful, sustainable and safe tall buildings? Use wood (accessed 18 September 2020)
[7] Committee on Climate Change, UK Homes fit for the future, p. 17

Terms of reference

The Committee is inviting written submissions, to cover the following areas:

Questions needing responses:

To what extent have the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations on decarbonising the structural fabric of new homes been met?
How can materials be employed to reduce the carbon impact of new buildings, including efficient heating and cooling, and which materials are most effective at reducing embodied carbon?
What role can nature-based materials play in achieving the Government’s net zero ambition?
What role can the planning system, permitted development and building regulations play in delivering a sustainable built environment?
How can these policies incentivise developers to use low carbon materials and sustainable design?
What methods account for embodied carbon in buildings and how can this be consistently monitored and applied across the sector?
Should the embodied carbon impact of alternative building materials take into account the carbon cost of manufacture and delivery to site, enabling customers to assess the relative impact of imported versus domestically sourced materials?
How well is green infrastructure being incorporated into building design and developments to achieve climate resilience and other benefits?
How should we take into account the use of materials to minimise carbon footprint, such as use of water harvesting from the roof, grey water circulation, separate foul and surface water drainage systems, porous surfaces for hardstanding, energy generation systems such as solar panels?
How should re-use and refurbishment of buildings be balanced with new developments?
What can the Government do to incentivise more repair, maintenance and retrofit of existing buildings?

GBE has provided its responses and shared it with ACAN

GBE’s response was posted on the EAC site 29th April 2021
GBE sent ACAN request to 33 organisations and individuals who may have something to say, to request they join in and submit their responses; those who asked I sent my response to them
The GBE responses will not be permitted to be posted here due to the rules of submission to EAC
It will be posted when their rules no longer apply

ACAN have set up a tracker (link below) based on the questions the EAC have raised in order that we can see where ACAN, and other organisations that ACAN are contacting, will be best placed to provide evidence.
If you are intending to respond by the 15th May 2021 as an individual or on behalf of organisations it would be great if you would log it here so ACAN can aim for all the questions to be responded to.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UDW67p_eJ9Uq0wNTxm3WYJO5QPKWo2NlScvCiDzow9Y/edit?usp=sharing

Thursday 6th May, 12:00-13:30, Online

ASBP Workshop: EAC Inquiry – Sustainability of the Built Environment

ASBP invites you to a free-to-attend workshop to discuss the Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry into the ‘Sustainability of the Built Environment’.

The inquiry represents a vital opportunity for ASBP, its members and wider industry to influence future environmental policy, particularly in regards to embodied carbon regulation and advocating the use of bio-based materials.

Hear from industry experts on a wide-range of sustainability topics, including embodied carbon, low carbon materials and material reuse.
An opportunity to debate the important issues that are being scrutinised as part of the inquiry.
Receive recommendations on how to respond to the inquiry questions.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Deadline

Written evidence should be submitted through the Committee’s web portal by 15 May 2021, 22:59.
https://committees.parliament.uk/submission/#/evidence/440/preamble

Response

Respondents need not answer all the questions and evidence need not be limited to these questions.
Submissions should be not more than 3,000 words but shorter submissions are welcomed and encouraged.
We encourage members of underrepresented groups to submit written evidence.
We aim to have diverse panels of Select Committee witnesses and ask organisations to bear this in mind when we ask them to choose a representative.
We are currently monitoring the diversity of our witnesses.

Format

It is recommended that all submitters familiarise themselves with the Guidance on giving evidence to a Select Committee of the House of Commons which outlines word count, format, document size, and content restrictions.
<3000 words
be concise – if over 3,000 words, include a short summary as well
Not PDF but openable copyable editable file Word, RTF, TXT, etc.
<25 mb, one file,
No logos
No Pictures
include an introduction to you or your organisation and your reason for submitting evidence
not already published

Images:

ACAN Architects Carbon Action Network

ASBP EAC workshop

Newsletter

https://mailchi.mp/asbp/asbpnews-apr21?e=84d59243cd

GBE Consultations

Environment Audit Committee Inquiry (this page)

GBE Inquiry

Environment Audit Committee Inquiry (this page)

GBE Others Stuff

GBE Campaigns

ACAN: Environment Audit Committee Inquiry (this page)
Combustible Materials Consultation (Campaign) G#38249

GBE Links

GBE Petition

GBE Press

Greenpeace UK example
1. http://energydesk.greenpeace.org/2015/09/21/4-ways-the-uk-can-get-almost-all-its-power-from-renewables/