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12 June 2005
UK-Sweden Sustainable Building Initiative
Global climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world. Unchecked it will have social, environmental and economic consequences for everyone.
The European Union (EU), is responding seriously to tackle climate changeis working towards providing the right combination of support for technology and investment so that we can meet the environmental challenge. Tackling climate change presents important business opportunities.
In Malmo on 13 June 2005, Mona Sahlin and Elliot Morley launched a joint UK-Sweden initiative to support and promote more sustainable construction. They saw at first hand examples of environmentally-conscious building projects.
In 2003 the UK and Swedish Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Göran Persson had written jointly to the European Commission to highlight the urgent need to "actively exchange information and best practice between Member States on building design and energy consumption".
Since then, the UK and Sweden have worked closely on environmental technologies. The new UK-Sweden Initiative on Sustainable Construction aims to highlight and share best practice and to provide leadership across the EU.
Both UK and Sweden are working to develop dialogue between people at all levels - from policy makers and regulators to investors, architects and tradesmen - who can share skills and experiences.
Why is sustainable construction important?
The energy consumed in constructing, occupying and operating buildings accounts for about half of all the UKs carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to climate change, consuming non-renewable resources and adding to pollution. In Sweden, energy for heating purposes makes up about 40 per cent of the total energy use and buildings (apartments, offices etc) are responsible for about 20 per cent of total carbon dioxide emissions.
Waste from construction and demolition materials and soil is 90 Mtonnes annually in the UK. The industry produces annually three times the waste produced by all UK households combined.
Making buildings and construction more environmentally sustainable can make a massive contribution to meeting our environmental challenges. This includes a huge number of existing buildings that need to be refurbished and renovated, with improvements to energy efficiency and appropriate ventilation. Sustainable building is also about building places where sustainable communities can thrive - well-planned places where people want to live and work, which meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life.
In the UK, the Government is working with the building industry and others on a new Code for Sustainable Buildings, which will raise standards for everything from water efficiency and waste, to the use of materials and energy. In Swedish legislation, similar standards have been introduced and there is work going on to improve regulations.
We can learn a lot from each other.
The use of prefabricated elements in new buildings in Sweden is an interesting example for the UK to follow. Factory building has been going on in Sweden since the 1950s and is very advanced compared to most UK equivalents. Swedish manufacturers already dominate equipment supplies to UK housing factories. From a Swedish perspective, the UK experience with private-public partnerships is an idea to examine further.
The ministers visited Augustenborg to see a major sustainable housing renewal programme where flooding problems have been solved through the creation of an open stormwater system which fills the area with ponds, wildlife and beauty. The project has been coordinated by an Englishman who brought experience of local sustainability and community development work.
So, it is no coincidence that the meeting took place in Malmö. Many places in England have been learning from development there. Cambridgeshire County Council is working with Malmö to promote sustainable housing while Birmingham and Gateshead have drawn inspiration from the city too. Newcastle has taken Malmö as its model when considering sustainable housing renewal, including the Byker estate designed orginally by Swedish Brit Ralph Erskine.
Both Ms. Sahlin and Mr. Morley looked forward to continued cooperation and collaboration between the people of Sweden and the UK in building a better environment for a better future.