May 26 2004
Responding to the Sustainable Buildings Task Group report, Ministers from three major Departments backed the group’s call for Government and Industry to lead the way in raising the quality and sustainability of new and refurbished buildings.
The centrepiece of the report is a new Code for Sustainable Building (CSB), which sets out best practice standards on energy efficiency, flood resilience, water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste production.
Government departments including ODPM, DTI and DEFRA have agreed to start work immediately on the main principles and possibilities for the CSB.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said: “High quality, well designed buildings are paramount to creating places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. You only have to look across the city landscape to see new standards being set combining architectural excellence with environmental efficiency, such as Lord Foster's 'Gherkin' in London, Greenwich Millennium Village, or Lacuna housing development in Kent. We need to take a lead from the very best and see how these standards can be achieved for all of our buildings.
“That’s why I welcome today’s proposals for a Code for Sustainable Buildings. We must act now to improve the performance of buildings, and we will work closely with industry to develop the code to ensure it sets best practice standards and allows the flexibility needed for generating high quality design.”
The Sustainable Buildings Task Group is an independent group appointed by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretaries of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and for Trade and Industry, was announced at the Better Buildings Summit last October.
The Group was tasked with identifying how government and industry could improve the quality and sustainability of new and refurbished buildings.
Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said: “I welcome the work of the Task Group in producing a series of workable and practical recommendations for both Government and Industry to such a tight timetable. The Task Group has recognised the importance and urgency that must be attached to driving up the sustainability of buildings.
“Our building stock has major environmental impacts, and by ensuring the highest environmental standards are applied more widely we can turn the principles of sustainable development into practice in buildings. Energy, waste, water and the sustainable use of timber and other construction materials are all areas where the Task Group’s work have shown that there is real cost-effective progress to be made.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues across Government and Industry in taking forward the recommendations in this important report.”
Secretary of State for Department of Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt said: "Since last Autumn's Better Building Summit, the issues of climate change, greener energy supplies and sustainability remain top of the agenda. Sustainable construction will be a key element of how we deal with these issues and literally how we choose to build our own future.
The recommendations in this report will provide challenges and great opportunities for the UK construction industry and I will work closely with them when considering how best to go forward."
The report also makes specific recommendations to ODPM on issues such as Planning and Building Regulations. ODPM have welcomed these recommendations at a time when they are reviewing Building Regulations and are reforming the Planning system.
Source: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister