Day 3 will move on to Taking Action, hearing from those who have been doing just that and exploring plans that can take society and the construction industry forward.
Edge Ministerial Keynote #145: 10.15-10.30
Trudy Harrison, Government post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary. Department of
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Edge Debate #146: 10.30-11.30:
The Big Nature Debate: Our contract with nature for a nature positive world
Nature can survive very well without us and would embark on a ‘restoration programme’ with surprising speed and ease. Unfortunately, we cannot survive without nature. We cannot continue to extract nature’s freely given reserves at the current rate and not suffer unintended consequences. The already apparent evidence of those consequences has led to a global understanding that we are facing a climate and ecological emergency.
COP15 has delivered some clear targets for protecting nature and we, as an industry, must now bring it to the forefront of our decision making going forward if we are to have a sustainable and regenerative future. The UK government has committed to manage 30% of the land for nature by 2030 but, according to Wildlife and Countryside Link “only 3% of land could reliably be said to be specifically protected by nature, rather less than the 26% suggested by the Government.” How can we close the present 27% gap and is 30% actually enough for future resilience?
The challenge ahead is considerable and urgent, but actions need to be taken for long term recovery not quick tree planting projects!
FUTUREBUILD PROPOSITION NO 9:
The natural and built environments are so tightly interconnected that any decision making on development must be influenced by its impact on nature.
Chair: Dame Fiona Reynolds, former Master of Emmanuel College Cambridge and former Director-General of the National Trust
Assessing the state of the natural world and resources in the UK
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive, The Wildlife Trusts
Restoring the natural world must be part of the economy
James Alexander, Chair, Finance Earth
We need comprehensive, integrated land use framework for the whole of the UK so that nature recovery and essential development can co-exist
Jenny Merriman, Technical Director, WSP
The Environment Act – what next?
Richard Benwell, Chief Executive, Wildlife and Countryside Link
Edge Debate #147: 11.45-12.45
Facing Challenges: Edge Policy Proposals
This year’s Futurebuild conference has been looking forwards to ensure lessons are learned, so that changing and taking action become second nature. We are ready to take a stand for a better built and natural environment and take the action that is needed in the critically short window of time that we have to take it. the Edge considers that successfully overcoming the existential threats of climate change and biodiversity loss is feasible, but only if two conditions are met – first that there has to be a clear focus and overriding combined commitment by government, industry and society to address the major challenges that face us all and, second, that the necessary changes are carried through with the utmost urgency.]
FUTUREBUILD PROPOSITION NO 10:
We need a national economic plan for transforming our built and natural environments.
Chair: Ben Westerman, Head of Policy, Aldersgate Group Introduction to the proposals:
Simon Foxell, The Edge and Principal, The Architects’ Practice
An economy for the environment
Antonia Jennings, Associate Director, Centre for Local Economic Strategies
Planning for Society
Sophie Beagles, Principal Regeneration Officer, Ealing Council and Learning Facilitator, Public Practice
Using our Land
Martin Baxter, Director of Policy and External Affairs, IEMAEssential Infrastructure
Pete Winslow, Director, Expedition
Climate Skills and understanding
Professor Elena Marco, Pro Vice-chancellor and Head of College of Arts, Technology and Environment at the University, West of England (UWE)
Measuring, declaring and eradicating carbon
Fabrizio Varriale, Space and Place Analyst, RICS
Creating a resilient built and natural environment.
Dr Martina Girvan, Green Construction Board (Biodiversity Working Group) and Senior Technical Director- Ecology, ArcadisDesign and construction performance and building passports
Marianne Heaslip, Technical Lead, People Powered Retrofit
Edge Debate #148: 13.00-13.45
Activism: Teaching the new curriculum: education is key to positive action on climate and ecological breakdown
A clear understanding of both the climate and ecological crisis is the critical first step for taking action. This should start in the earliest years and continue throughout our formal education and into lifelong learning. It could be argued that these are the two most important issues on which we all need clarity so that we can all take the right decisions and actions to achieve the degree of change that is needed for a sustainable and regenerative future for all.
FUTUREBUILD PROPOSITION NO 11:
We need to redesign our whole education on a multi-disciplinary basis around the climate and biodiversity emergency.
Chair: Keith Clarke CBE, Intercity Development Partners - Partenaires de Développement Interurbain and Chair of Constructionarium
What students are asking for
Eleanor Andrade May, Student volunteer, Teach the Future
How politicians are responding
Zoe Arnold, Campaigns Manager - Education, Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK)
What we need for climate and ecologically literate built environment education
Dr Neal Shasore, Head of School and CEO, London School of Architecture
&
Dr Jenny Russell, Director of Education and Learning, Royal Institute of British
Architects (RIBA)
Edge Conversation #149: 15.00 – 15.45
Futurebuild conversation: What have we got right? Which exams have we passed? What are our re-sits? Are we heading for expulsion? What next?
The challenges that we face are closely interrelated and it is important that we do not focus so much on one – reaching ‘net zero’ for example - that we overlook the others. How are we doing in tackling the multiplicity of challenges relating to climate and ecological breakdown both in the UK and taking account of our global responsibilities? We last took the stage in the wake of COP 26, since then both COP 27 and COP 15 have taken place
This conversation between a scientist and practitioners assesses how we are doing one year on.
Chair: Sara Edmonds, Coordinator, Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) and Director, Studio seARCH
Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science, University College London and author of How to save our planet: the facts
Lara Young, Head of ESG, Cromwell Property Group
Smith Mordak, Director of Sustainability and Physics, Buro Happold