What is sustainability in the built environment?
Discussions about sustainability and the built environment can be confusing. What exactly is the built environment and what does sustainability have to do with it?
Surprisingly, the built environment has everything to do with sustainability. In fact, urban buildings account for almost 40% of global carbon emissions. In the UK alone, 25% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to the built environment. During every stage of the construction cycle, greenhouse gases are released - from the manufacturing of materials through to construction, maintenance and eventually, demolition. This is why switching to sustainable resources and reducing building and urban infrastructure emissions is so important to us. It’s vital for the long-term resilience of both people and planet.
If you’re interested in our design and build services, you might wonder how this affects you and your project. At Hawkland, we believe change can be driven even on the smallest scale. If the UK is to meet its net-zero by 2050, committed to by the government in their Build Back Greener policy, emissions from the built environment must be reduced. This is why our business practise follows a different approach to other design and build companies. At it’s core, Hawkland is a social enterprise. Our central social and environmental missions are what drive the company forward.
For example, we minimise our impact on the environment - and wherever possible aim to improve it - by making conscious choices in terms of both our materials and business practises. Our design team considers your needs and wants alongside a palette of natural materials, utilising sustainable technologies within our high level of detailing. Hawkland also leads in the utilisation of bio-based, carbon-sequestering materials that reduce the embodied energy of our projects. Our portfolio of several Passivhaus projects in Wales and Herefordshire exemplifies our work at the forefront of low carbon construction within the built environment.
The unfortunate truth is that the UK construction industry is falling behind on sustainability. At Hawkland, we want to catch up. Our industry is in the unique position to drive the shift towards a cleaner environmental footprint and eventually meet the net-zero 2050 target. If you’re interested in what we do, book a free discovery session via our website to find out more.