黑洞社区

A coalition of construction professionals have written to business and energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng asking for a meeting to discuss the government鈥檚 鈥渨oeful鈥� approach to the climate emergency.

The government鈥檚 policies fall short of the actions necessary to prevent 鈥渋rreversible climate change鈥�, they said.

Construction Declares 鈥� which incorporates Civil Engineers Declare, Architects Declare, Structural Engineers Declare, 黑洞社区 Services Engineers Declare and represents 1,500 UK companies 鈥� sent a letter to prime minister Boris Johnson in July outlining green recovery opportunities presented by the covid-19 pandemic.

They said transforming the built environment, which is responsible for 40% of the UK鈥檚 greenhouse gas emissions, would play a crucial part in meeting climate targets and offered their skills to initiate a mass retrofit of wasteful buildings, ensure all new buildings are designed to strict standards 鈥� and create long-term, skilled jobs.

The response a month later from Kwarteng, who is minister for business, energy and clean growth, was 鈥渨oefully inadequate in its scope鈥�, said Jacqueline Wheeler of Architects Declare.

Kwarteng thanked them for their support and set out what the government is doing.

In a detailed four-page response sent by Construction Declares yesterday, the coalition of built environment groups said: 鈥淲e believe that the government鈥檚 policies are falling short of what is required to prevent irreversible climate change and would like to arrange a meeting to discuss how we can support and collaborate with you on the action required.鈥�

The letter quoted predictions from the World Bank and UN that global heating of 3C would result in between 140 million and 200 million climate refugees. It said: 鈥淚t is hard to see how this level of displacement could occur without widespread conflict, the collapse of nations most affected and the rise of fascism in the destination countries for refugees.鈥�

The letter accused the government of 鈥渃reative accounting鈥� when it claimed emissions had fallen 43% in three decades because the figure, they said, drops to 10% when aviation, shipping and imported goods are factored in.

It also dismissed Kwarteng鈥檚 reference to a 拢640m nature climate fund since this would be 鈥渄warfed鈥� by the government鈥檚 拢27bn road building plans.

鈥淚t is clear from current trends that we are heading for near-term collapse of ecosystems and medium-term collapse of societies,鈥� the construction professionals wrote.

鈥淔ar from providing reassurance, your letter provides clear evidence that the government鈥檚 policies are woefully short of what is required to prevent this.

鈥淭he good news is that it doesn鈥檛 have to be this way. Britain led the world into the industrial age and we have all the right skills to lead the world out of it. This is without doubt the greatest, and most urgent, innovation opportunity of a lifetime.鈥�

They asked for a meeting with the minister to discuss how they could best help the government take meaningful action.