Construction minister outlines government response to low carbon review

The government is to set up a new Green Construction Board chaired by construction minister Mark Prisk, it announced today.

The new board, which will also feature chief construction adviser Paul Morrell, was the headline announcement from the government鈥檚 response to Morrell鈥檚 Low Carbon report from December 2010, published today.

Other members of the board, which will be up and running in the autumn, are to be decided over the summer.

The publication of the response to Morrell鈥檚 report, known as the Low Carbon IGT, has already been welcomed by a range of industry groups.

The RICS will also be given a role in driving through a number of other recommendations, including  establishing a standard method of measuring embodied carbon, and organising a cross-industry seminar on the implementation of the Green Deal. It will also work with the government on using 黑洞社区 Information Modelling to improve the sustainability of construction and refurbishment

Mark Goodwin, RICS Director of External Affairs, said: 鈥淐oordinated action across the construction industry will be essential if we are to meet the challenges presented by sustainability and the need to reduce carbon from the construction and refurbishment process. It is the responsibility of the construction and property industries and the Government to ensure that the process is driven forward, helping to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment.鈥

The UK Green 黑洞社区 Council said the report represented the start of a 鈥渘ew era鈥 for low carbon co-operation in the construction industry.

More soon鈥