The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched its UK Climate Change Strategy today, setting out environmental standards for the industry.
Following the launch of its global strategy on 17 November in
It aims to lay down standards to provide guidance and information to professionals in all fields of the real estate sector and to standardise sustainability measuring and reporting across the industry.
The priorities for the
? lobbying for sustainable construction will be a key requirement for new infrastructure for Northern Ireland RICS;
? working with the Welsh Assembly to examine ways of making existing housing stock more energy efficient;
? working with the Scottish government to implement the Climate Change (
? working with Communities and Local Government on value and energy efficiency for existing properties;
? continuing active membership of Sustainable Built Environment East;
? in the north England, monitoring the efforts made by private and public organisations to develop new and innovative ways creating and promoting new sustainable development and retro-fit existing property;
? in the south of
? developing a new policy for rural communities.
Dan Cook, head of policy and corporate affairs, said: “The RICS supports the scientific evidence of climate change and the associated risks both for the planet’s ecosystems and societies.
“Through the range and diversity of its membership, the RICS is well placed to understand sustainability across the land, property and construction sectors.
“With new regulatory frameworks beginning to establish a market for low carbon-rated property in both commercial and domestic sectors, RICS members are ideally placed to claim this ‘first mover advantage’.
“However, any success will depend on the development of harmonised standards for measurement and further analysis of what policies are needed to create value for sustainable buildings. These two areas will be the key priorities of our work in the coming months.”
