Sustainable construction

The commonly accepted origin of the term sustainable development is The World Commission on Environment and Development,

also known as the Brundtland Commission because it was chaired by the Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.

In their 1987 report ‘Our Common Future’ the Commission called for: ‘a form of sustainable development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’

Assessing sustainable construction

Assessing the sustainability credentials of buildings is still in its infancy. Although assessment criteria are available, there is no robust methodology that can objectively quantify and assess all three dimensions of sustainable construction, i.e. all the environmental, economic and social aspects.

What is sustainable construction?

Construction has an important role to play in delivering sustainable development for a number of social, economic and environmental reasons.

Recent developments in sustainable construction

There are many aspects of Government policy in this broad area. Examples include: the Sustainable Communities Plan; revisions to the Building Regulations; the Barker review; Sir John Egan’s Review of Construction Skills; the Aggregates Levy; Landfill tax; planning.