CPDs and training

What is sustainability and how does it relate to the built environment and those working within it? What are the most common terms and what do they actually mean? What does it involve, who and when? This is an interactive Q&A session where all aspects of sustainability can be discussed, understanding how it is considered, required, measured and delivered.

In this talk we cover:

• The current direction of planning policy with regards to sustainability and key areas of focus.
• If there is a particular regional focus and if so, on what.
• The most common methods of benchmarking sustainability.
• Where in the design process sustainability most comfortably sits.
• How sustainability is delivered in a typical building life cycle.
• The good, bad and ugly real-life examples.

The UK’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon by 2050 – in line with the Paris 1.5°C pathway – places the built environment sector at the forefront of climate action. With buildings responsible for around 30% of national carbon emissions, developers, property owners, investors, and asset managers and their supply chain, all have a critical role to play

Our CPDs explore how every stakeholder in the property lifecycle can respond strategically and effectively to the challenge of decarbonising the UK’s built environment. We can cover the following sub-topics that will be tailored for your company based on relevance and interest:

• Policy landscape: national, regional and local net zero ambitions – A clear overview of the evolving regulatory framework shaping the future of sustainable development.
• What is net zero? Understanding what net zero means. both at an organisation and building level. We can also provide a comparison of the various net zero frameworks and certifications, allowing organisations to understand the one best suited for them.
• Net zero for organisations – How companies can align with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and other standards to adopt industry best practice to develop credible, future-proof strategies.
• Net zero for buildings: introducing the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard – Understanding the new industry benchmark designed to bring clarity, consistency, and credibility to net-zero delivery. We can also discuss other approaches that apply industry best practice.
• Decarbonising existing buildings – How net-zero audits can help in identifying cost effective interventions for retrofit.
• Whole life carbon approach – Learn how both operational and embodied carbon must be addressed to unlock genuine net-zero performance.
• Why embodied carbon measurement matters – Explore the growing importance of early stage carbon assessments and how circular economy principles can dramatically cut carbon at every stage of a building’s life.

A look at best practice and practical examples of how the circular economy is being delivered in schemes where key sustainable development principles have been incorporated. We look at the London Plan policy for the aim of referable applications to be zero waste and what’s included in the Circular Economy Statement required for such applications.

In this talk we cover:

• What is the circular economy and what are the policy drivers?
• Circular economy design principles.
• Design approaches for existing and new buildings.
• Material efficiency and waste reduction opportunities.
• Circular economy statements.
• Case studies of circularity within buildings.

With operational energy increasingly being decarbonised in the UK, the importance of considering embodied carbon within the built environment is growing and is a vital component of meeting our 2050 net zero target.

In this talk we cover:

• The climate and policy context.
• How embodied carbon fits within the wider building life cycle.
• Measurement and calculation.
• Reducing embodied carbon through design and specification.
• Reporting requirements.
• Links to other sustainability topics.

We examine the different types of BREEAM, implications on programme, appointments, cost and technical approaches to address key issues. We go through case studies on a variety of BREEAM projects, addressing the most practicable way to work with BREEAM and integrate it into wider sustainability strategies.

In this talk we cover:

• Energy performance and improvements.
• Embodied carbon and materials.
• Health and wellbeing.
• Transport.
• Ecology.

The introduction of NABERS UK is seeking to drive operational energy performance optimisation in office buildings, learning from the success story of NABERS in Australia where it has transformed the real estate sector. NABERS UK is a key tool to support operational net zero commitments in office buildings.

We discuss:

• What is NABERS?
• NABERS’ success in Australia.
• Design for compliance vs design for performance.
• NABERS and operational net zero carbon.

Operational energy consumption accounts for a large proportion of the total carbon emissions associated with buildings. National regulations and local planning policies are adapting to address the need to reduce operational carbon emissions, however it is necessary to go beyond minimum compliance requirements to achieve performance in line with net zero operational energy limits.

In this talk we cover:

• Current regulatory requirements.
• Upcoming regulatory requirements.
• Operational energy beyond compliance.
• Delivering best practice operational energy performance.

Social sustainability (or social value) and designing places that will benefit both people and nature in the long term is critical to ensuring future communities are healthy and sustainable. In this session, we explore what social value is, what it means for your business and how it can be integrated into your projects.

This will include:

• Exploring what social value is in a built environment and placemaking context.
• Steps to integrating social value into a design or activity.
• Creating a Social Value Framework through RIBA Stages.
• The tools available for measuring, monitoring and reporting the impacts.

The discussion will also look at the future of social value reporting and how we can move away from financial metrics when quantifying human happiness and wellbeing.

This session covers recent changes in policy and legislation and provides guidance on how and when ecology should be considered as part of a development project. By considering ecological constraints and opportunities early on, costly delays can be avoided later down the line.

In this talk we cover:

• An overview of Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA).
• Protected species licensing updates (bats and great crested newts).
• Biodiversity net gain (BNG).
• Local nature recovery strategies (LNRS).

We introduce the existing and emerging drivers for consideration of biodiversity within your business operations, be it professional services, new development, or asset and land management.

This talk includes:

• A run through of the quickly evolving Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
• Sustainable finance mechanisms to leverage actions for nature.
• An introduction to the tangible business co-benefits that can be achieved through delivery of nature-based solutions.

This session is aimed at developers, asset managers, investors and fund managers interested in learning why they’ll need to be more considerate of nature and how such consideration can in fact benefit them.

Policy and legislation require new development to deliver biodiversity net gain (BNG). For most development, this will mean embracing green infrastructure. In addition, there is clear and ever-growing evidence that green infrastructure can deliver key benefits for not only biodiversity and the environment, but also public health and wellbeing.

In this talk we cover:

• The current direction of planning policy with regards to ecology, green infrastructure and its link to climate resilience and health and wellbeing.
• The impact of BNG and the Urban Greening Factor (UGF) on the development process, design and ongoing maintenance.
• How early identification of the ecological constraints and opportunities can significantly reduce the risk of delays and maximise the opportunities for cost effective enhancement.
• Approaches and options for designing green infrastructure into a development and maximising BNG, using case studies of approaches taken to date.
• Additional environmental and health and wellbeing benefits green infrastructure can bring to a development with regards to climate change adaptation

Over the last 10 years, countless sporting events have been delayed or cancelled due to climate change–related extreme weather. We have also seen athletes, participants, and supporters fall ill as a result of polluted environments and extreme weather conditions. At the same time, we know that leading an active lifestyle has multiple health and wellbeing benefits that save the NHS billions of pounds. Therefore, the sports industry – from facility designers through to clubs and governing bodies – has a duty to ensure the future of sport is resilient to climate change.

In this CPD we will discuss:

• Why the sport sector should be more invested in sustainability.
• The key issues affecting sport and new sport development projects.
• How to consider a holistic approach to addressing key issues.
• Real-life examples of innovative approaches, from organisational strategy to holistic design solutions.

The built environment plays an active role in health and community wellbeing, such as in social infrastructure, active travel, climate resilience and accessible design, which all support the wider determinants of health. Local authorities are increasingly seeing the value in health impact assessments – if done early in the planning process, they can ensure developments are well-designed for the needs of the population now and in the future.

In this talk we cover:

• The current policy and community drivers with regards to good health, supported social infrastructure and long-term wellbeing.
• A baseline analysis of an area to identify key health concerns and constraints.
• Examples of best practice in healthy design and developments.
• The different frameworks and guidance used in health impact assessments, specifically what we look for and would recommend.