April 26, 2006—A report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) says the construction industry is still found wanting when it comes to minimizing the use of energy in the building process and in transporting materials.
This comes six years after the government published its strategy to promote sustainable construction, ‘Building a Better Quality of Life,’ in April 2000.
The RICS report asked quantity surveyors to assess how well the industry has progressed in becoming more energy efficient and socially or environmentally responsible.
Isabel McAllister, associate director of sustainability at Cyril Sweett, commented: “The construction industry is viewed as having performed poorly in minimizing the use of energy in the building process as well as energy consumed in the transportation of materials.”
The report also raises concern about minimizing the waste produced in the construction process and the waste generated during the use of a building and its after-life.
According to the report, the government is viewed as having made most progress towards implementing the sustainability agenda overall, closely followed by architects and designers. Developers and contractors were seen as contributing the least.
For more information, visit the RICS Web site.
