Round Table Energy in buildings sponsored by


inety minutes rarely provides suf- ficient time to get to grips with the issue on the table. In the case of energy in buildings, this latest debate could have continued long into the night. Chaired by Imperial College’s professor of engineer- ing for sustainable development, David Fisk, business leaders from the likes of John Lewis Partnership, Thames Water and Transport for London, were invited to explore the chal- lenges, opportunities and potential solutions to creating more efficient buildings. The barri- ers are great, not least because landlords are somewhat reluctant to invest in technologies that will merely serve to benefit their tenants. But the pool of engaged companies, and green buildings, is slowly growing. And if Display Energy Certificates are rolled out to all organi- sations, as opposed to just public ones, the market for sustainable buildings may finally be realised.


David Fisk: Let’s start with the issue of new build versus refurbishment. The Government’s Carbon Plan has a 2019 target for zero-carbon new build. You must have this tattooed on your shoulder at Land Securities.


Neil Pennell: Yes, it’s on my KPI list. There has been some work going on to work out what the definition of the target would be. Once we’ve got that nailed down, and people know what the rules are, then we can develop solutions to meet the criteria.


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David Fisk: There always seems to be a debate in the sustainable development community about really ambitious targets. How do we feel about these aspirational targets? Is it helpful?


John Gilbert: I’m happy with ambitious tar- gets; the rhetoric needs to stop and we need to be encouraged into action. The important thing is that having set those targets, they remain. The change to the CRC


With the UK’s building stock accounting for 40% of all emissions, tackling inefficiencies clearly needs to be a priority. But it’s not going to be easy, as Tom Idle found out as he listened in on the latest SB Round Table Debate, which brought together some of the country’s biggest property owners


Transport for London has just completed a retrofit programme of 22 of its buildings in the capital


[Carbon Reduction Commitment] was detri- mental to the work business has been doing. This September would have been the first recycling period, so businesses that would have actually dismissed the rhetoric and got on with it would have benefited and had money to reinvest. Targets are great. But the metrics need to be set and held firm.


Stuart Laidlaw: I totally agree. We’ve been Sustainable Business | June 2011 | 35


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