Home Builders Federation, the Housing Corporation and stakeholder groups join forces to spread good sustainable practice.
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) in partnership with the Housing Corporation have come together with leading stakeholder groups and experts to launch a major new sustainability initiative – Sustainability in Housebuilding.
The aim of the initiative is to promote constructive debate and innovative thinking, to encourage the exchange of workable ideas and ultimately to produce more effective action on the ground.
Sustainability in Housebuilding is supported by a panel of experts that will be looking for sound ideas and best practice from the entries received. The best examples of sustainability in action will be selected and presented, in case study form, in a new report. This report will be widely distributed to help the spread of good and sustainable practice throughout the private and public housebuilding industries.
The HBF will also be staging a major conference focusing on the business case for sustainability on 8th September at the Business Design Centre in London, with the keynote speech delivered by DTI minister Alun Michael.
The conference will run alongside the Housebuilding 2005 exhibition and bring together housebuilders, housing associations, architects, consultants and contractors. Associated with the conference will be a physical showcase of the cream of the exemplars identified, which will be open to both delegates and exhibition visitors.
The conference, report and showcase will form the cornerstone of the HBF’s ongoing campaign of awareness about sustainability in housebuilding.
HBF chief executive Rob Ashmead said:
“One thing we know is that for change to truly take hold within any industry there has to be either a business case based on consumer demand or support from workable regulation. What we also know is that whereas regulations are most often reluctantly met, business benefits are seized upon.
“We see our role, that of the HBF and its partners in this initiative, as encouraging constructive debate, greater understanding and innovative thinking with the clear aim of generating real action on the ground.
“We feel that as the industry body for housebuilders, it is imperative that we are central to the growing and developing debate on sustainability.”
Housing Corporation Chief Executive Jon Rouse said:
“The housebuilding sector has a major impact on how we live. The choices we take in designing, building and maintaining our homes will have implications for future generations, for many years. The decisions we make must be right for the environment, for society and, if we are to have a sustainable industry, for the companies that produce and maintain our homes.
“To make the right decisions we must be better informed and have good exemplars to follow. That is why the Housing Corporation is supporting this initiative.”