sustainable construction - what's new?
Times are tough for the construction industry. Choices need to be made. No-one wants to be seen as unsustainable, but with tightening belts comes the need to clearly differentiate which aspects of so-called ‘sustainable’ construction are unavoidable legal obligations, which are mere indulgences, and which might actually save you money.
One way of saving money is to handle construction waste better. Recent changes to Waste Law should have eased the burden of red tape, but no-one seems to have told the regulators! We’ll show you how to follow the path of least regulatory resistance, improving the ease with which you can reuse construction & demolition materials.
Also, numerous recycling “protocols” have encouraged the reuse of a variety of ‘sustainable’ reprocessed products (which can be cheaper than virgin equivalents). But if you get it wrong, it can be expensive. Semple Fraser’s waste experts will guide you through the regulatory minefield.
Energy efficiency is another totem of sustainability, but there is confusion about what the law currently demands, with so many changes having been introduced, apparently piecemeal. We will also update you on the latest position, as well as covering the topical issue of local energy generation.
Our final presentation will cover a variety of legal drivers affecting the construction and development industry in the year ahead, including tax breaks, new climate change laws, and impending changes to the JCT.
PROGRAMME
10.00 Registration
10.30 Chairman’s Introduction
Stuart Macfarlane, Head of Construction
10.40 Construction Waste – recent changes
> when is contaminated soil not waste
> clever use of WML exemptions
> recycled products and their pitfalls
Vincent Brown, Head of Environment & Pollution
11.10 Coffee
11.25 Energy Efficiency – current issues
> EPCs and DECs – the latest
> The new BREEAM Regs and their relevance
> On-site renewables and local energy networks
Kirsteen Milne, Director, Construction Group
11.55 New development challenges
> Abolition of landfill tax exemption
> Climate Change Bill
> Eco towns
> Soil Management Plans
> Flooding risk
> Sustainability clauses / JCT
Barry Love, Partner, Environment & Pollution
12.25 Questions & Discussion
12.40 Lunch & Networking
This Conference is one of a series that offers practical guidance and solutions to the issues affecting those involved in the construction industry. The Conference will also present you with an opportunity to network with peers in your industry and share best practice.