The Environmental Audit Committee report on environmental sustainability and housing growth response by the Royal Institute of British Architects(RIBA) urges the government to accelerate action on embodied carbon and skills.
RIBA writes:
Following the publication of the Environmental Audit Committee’s report on environmental sustainability and housing growth, RIBA President Chris Williamson said: ‘With climate talks continuing at COP30 in Belem, we welcome this timely report from the Environmental Audit Committee, which echoes many of the recommendations RIBA has long championed. The committee rightly recognises the urgent need for regulation to drive down embodied carbon, and we now need the government to bring forward the consultation on this topic, promised by the previous administration. A clear direction of travel for reducing embodied carbon would give developers and investors much-needed certainty and help build a robust market for lower-carbon materials.’
[He said…] ‘The report also highlights the need for a skilled workforce to deliver the government’s housing and net zero ambitions. Architects will play a central role in this transformation, which is why the recent decision to defund Level 7 apprenticeships runs counter to the government’s own agenda. There is an urgent need to reduce the carbon impact of our built environment. We look forward to working with the committee and government to deliver this.’
