PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK
POLICY PIPELINE / FRONT DESK
NE T Z E RO COMMITMENTS
Bridging the climate ambition gap With dire official warnings about climate change and the UK Government ramping up plans to achieve net zero, our profession faces another daunting challenge
W
hile the coronavirus pandemic continues to change many aspects of our lives, including how and where we work, we are on the threshold of another challenge – perhaps the greatest of all: turning policies, plans and targets into effective actions to avoid the damaging effects of further climate change. Ironically, the pandemic and climate change have made this more difficult by increasing energy demand for those working from home and for cooling buildings.
KEY CONTACTS Sofie Hooper Head of Policy Phil Jenkins Policy executive policy@iwfm.org.uk
With fewer than two months until COP26, the government is under pressure to deliver its comprehensive Net Zero strategy for transitioning to a carbonfree economy. As part of this focus on ‘coal, cars, cash and trees’, it has launched its plan to decarbonise the UK’s entire transport system, including ending emissions from new cars and vans by 2035, as well as its strategy to use hydrogen for a third of the country’s energy, including for commercial and residential buildings.
SUSTAINABILITY HUB ● Our web hub brings together research, insight, guidance, resources and more – including the UN Sustainable Development Goals – to help our profession tackle the global crisis. tinyurl.com/sustain-hub IPCC CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT ● Landmark UN study warns that human activity
is changing the climate in unprecedented and irreversible ways, but a catastrophe can be avoided if we act fast. tinyurl.com/IPCC-report-21 HOW FM CAN HELP AVOID CLIMATE CATASTROPHE ● IWFM Insight Partner EMCOR explores the major role that FM can play in combating climate change – one of our 2021
Crucially for FMs, the Heat and Buildings Strategy has been delayed until October, but it is hoped that this will provide clarity on how the profession can fulfil its role in helping the UK achieve net zero by 2050. The strategy will sit alongside other developments: The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for privately rented property (from April 2023); Changes to the Future Homes Standard to deliver homes that are zero carbon ready (from 2025); and The proposed performance-based policy framework for commercial and industrial buildings larger than 1,000 square metres in England. Meeting the ambitious target of a net zero economy will require a workforce with appropriate ‘green’ skills. It is encouraging, therefore, to see the government welcome recommendations of the independent Green Jobs Taskforce and recognise in its Skills for Jobs white paper the need to support technical education and lifelong learning to create the workforce to deliver a green industrial revolution. We can no longer ignore the impact that the buildings we design, operate, manage and use have on our environment. Sustainability must be at the core of every strategic business decision, including those made by the government, if the UK is to meet its net zero targets. Our Policy Team will continue to monitor developments in this area, including outputs from COP26, working with key members of our community to support members in their leading role in helping to bridge the climate ambition gap.
Conference megatrends. tinyurl.com/EMCORclimate IWFM SUSTAINABILITY SURVEY ● IWFM’s 2021 Sustainability Survey took a pulse check of the sustainability priorities, barriers and opportunities for organisations in our sector. Results will be published in September. tinyurl.com/sustsurvey21
UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP26) ● Global summit to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris agreement and the UN tinyurl.com/COP26-conf GET INVOLVED ● Our policy work is informed by our members’ priorities. Share your views on policy matters with us at policy@iwfm.org.uk
FACI L I TAT EM AG A ZI N E .CO M
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