Environmental Issues - Policies
Sustainable development is popularly defined as: 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.Bruntland Commission 1987
Our corporate environment charter promotes "efficient use of natural resources in respect of purchasing goods and services" and consideration of “national and global environmental implications together with the needs of future generations".
The implementation of the sustainable construction policy via the regeneration of Lambeth's housing stock will play a major role in fulfilling the commitments of our environment charter.
The building industry consumes a significant amount of non-renewable resources, including energy during the use, extraction and manufacture of materials and products. 20-25% of the total CO2 emissions of Britain come from housing.
Significantly, 30% of this could be easily reduced by energy conservation measures. Water consumption in new build projects can be reduced by 30%. Alternatives exist for the 50% of the ozone depleting chemicals used in the UK, specified or installed by the building industry. Embodied energy can be reduced by 50% through careful design and specification. Our housing sustainable construction policy provides a framework to promote best practice in the way we procure our construction programmes.
The sustainable timber purchasing policy statement describes how we intend where possible to commit to the pursuit of best practice in the purchase of sustainable timber products.