Readers, at the BuilderScrap.com offices we’ve been reading and are frankly astonished at peoples attitudes to Energy and climate change. We thought we’d share more of the findings

Respondents were asked to indicate which one of six statements best reflected their feelings with regard to energy use and climate change. Responses to the question are shown in Table 4 compared with findings from tracker surveys carried out by the Energy Saving Trust in 2007 and 2008.

Attitudes towards the environment and climate change

In total 85% of all respondents indicated that they thought climate change was caused by energy use (this is largely consistent with findings from the Energy Saving Trust Tracker surveys in 2008 and 2007). Just 4% specifically said they did not believe that there are climate change problems caused by energy use with 5% indicating they “didn’t know”.

Around one in ten respondents (9%) indicated that they were not willing or able to change their behaviour with regard to energy use. In this respect the findings from the current survey are very similar to those from the Energy Saving Trust Tracker surveys in 2008 and 2007 (10% expressed this same opinion both in 2008 and 2007).

A little more than a third (36%) of respondents said they thought that climate change was caused by energy use and they were doing either “quite a number of things‟ (27%) or “a lot of things‟ (9%) to reduce their energy use and emissions. This represents a significant increase since 2008 and 2007 (when respectively 19% and 20% said they were doing quite a number or a lot of things). There has also been a decrease in the proportion who said they were “beginning to think that I should do something‟ (17% in 2009 compared with 27% in 2008 and 29% in 2007).

“(9%) indicated that they were not willing or able to change their behaviour” . This attitude isn’t going to help us reduce our effect on the environment. If attitudes like this continue, we certainly will destroy our communities and undo the great work that the majority have undertaken.

Must try harder! get Recycling GB

Beliefs and attitudes towards the environment

More from the BuilderScrap.com team on environmental beliefs and attitudes. We love these posts!

Respondents were presented with a large number of belief and attitude statements and asked to indicate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with each of these (on a five-point scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree). This section presents findings from responses to these statements, covering a range of beliefs about environmental issues as well as some motivations and barriers to further environmental behaviour, grouped together under three broad themes:

• Reported barriers and motivations – what motivates people to be environmentally-friendly and what are the barriers preventing people from being environmentally-friendly?

• Ecological world-view – what are people‟s views on the environment at a global level / on the way we use the Earth‟s resources?

• Persuading others – to what extent do people discuss environmental issues and try to persuade others to be environmentally-friendly?

Reported barriers and motivations

The survey included 17 statements related to what motivates people to be environmentally-friendly and what barriers prevent people from being environmentally-friendly. Table 2 provides a comparison of the proportion of respondents who agreed and disagreed with each statement between 2007 and 2009. Comparisons are available for all but two of the statements which were new in the 2009 survey

Attitudes

Agreement was highest for the following statements (which were expressed in a broadly positive way towards the environment) – more than half of all respondents agreed with each of these:

It really disappoints me when I see big offices and public buildings with their lights on when the building is empty (83% agreed, with 60% agreeing strongly)

• If government did more to tackle climate change, I‟d do more too (58% agreed, with 17% agreeing strongly)
• If business did more to tackle climate change, I would too (58% agreed, with 23% agreeing strongly)
• I sometimes feel guilty about doing things that harm the environment (55% agreed, with 13% agreeing strongly)
• I need more information on what I could do to be more environmentally friendly (55% agreed, with 13% agreeing strongly)

In contrast more than half of all respondents disagreed with each of the following statements (which were expressed in a broadly negative way towards the environment):

• It would embarrass me if my friends thought my lifestyle was purposefully environmentally friendly (74% disagreed, with 45% strongly disagreeing)
• It’s not worth me doing things to help the environment if others don’t do the same (65% disagreed, with 29% strongly disagreeing)
• The effects of climate change are too far in the future to really worry me (64% disagreed, with 30% strongly disagreeing)
• It’s only worth doing environmentally-friendly things if they save you money (61% disagreed, with 25% strongly disagreeing)
• It’s not worth Britain trying to combat climate change, because other countries will just cancel out what we do (55% disagreed, with 26% strongly disagreeing)
• I find it hard to change my habits to be more environmentally-friendly (54% disagreed, with 19% strongly disagreeing)
• Being green is an alternative lifestyle it’s not for the majority (51% disagreed, with 21% strongly disagreeing)’ve

We wonder if the respondents have ever heard of other phrases like recycling or Builders Exchange!

We have received some great news here at BuilderScrap – we have been shortlisted for a prestigious Edie Award for Environmental Excellence!

BuilderScrap has been shortlisted in the category of Sustainable Construction, and the awards will be announced and presented in November 2009.

BuilderScrap is an online builders exchange for surplus building supplies.  The website is completely free to use, and aims to lower the amount of construction waste sent unneccessarilly to landfill, as well as lowering construction costs.

For more information, please see www.builderscrap.com

Here at the BuilderScrap.com offices we’re still getting excited about the sustainable construction draft that we’ve been reading during the past month. Just to give the readers a quick overview of what we’ve been discussing;

This report analyses responses to the consultation on the draft Strategy for Sustainable Construction. The aim of the consultation was to gather views on the draft Strategy. 149 responses were received and comments analysed against each of the 28 questions in the consultation document. This report reflects the views of the respondents to each question
in sequence. Please feel free to read previous blog entries to understand the scope of todays question.

Q1: How can the Strategy be refreshed in future?

1. Respondents felt overwhelmingly that the Strategy needed to be tracked and refreshed in the future; and that the strong engagement between Government and industry and stakeholders should continue.

2. Some respondents suggested that progress be assessed independently and a range of organisations and individuals offered to be engaged in future reviews.

3. Views on the frequency of reviews ranged from continuous / organic reviews to a major review in seven years time. The median period suggested for reviews was 2-3 years.

BuilderScrap will keep you informed

Just a quick snippet of an article from 20 years ago.  The full article details the social responsibility of builders, architects and the clients living/working in the buildings and the possible legislative future.

Remember this was written in 1989. We’ve put these recommendations into practice…. haven’t we?

‘Rubbish collection and disposal have never been more than a minor engineering or aesthetic issue for builders. But the nation’s solid waste crisis and the resulting push for recycling has elevated the subject to a new status, raising questions about the designs and materials you use.

Legislative actions being considered now may affect your project planned for next year, and could result in extra expense or other unexpected hurdles, unless accommodated for. Foresightful developers will have to design buildings that are “recyclingfriendly,” and builders who aren’t already using recycled materials, will have to consider it’

By Jeffrey H. Mills (1989)
Recycling and the law.

The BuilderScrap.com team have been looking at more articles on Sustainability and climate change.  This extract discusses Government legislation and the devolution from central government to local government in strategic planning and therefore prosecution.  We find this very important as we believe in the accountability of local government and authorities to take responsibility and encourage sustainable projects are paramount.

‘In order to ensure compliance with all this primary and secondary legislation, the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 means that local authorities will be able to prosecute for breaches of energy efficiency standards within six months of discovering the breach, rather than within six months of completion of the relevant work, as was previously the case.

The local Government White Paper, issued in Autumn 2006 will devolve greater powers and responsibilities to local authorities in respect of climate change policies. In Wales, all local authorities have signed a declaration committing them to producing a climate change action plan. In London, the Mayor has published London’s own energy strategy.

The much talked-about energy certification in respect of existing homes was deferred this summer, at least in part, through action taken by the RICS to challenge the legality of the Government’s proposals. Notwithstanding, the Government maintains a long-term ambition of carbon neutral development. To achieve this, it proposes the following:

*  to set energy efficiency levels for the Code for Sustainable Homes;
*  for these levels to govern the future direction of Building Regulation;
*  to renew the Building Regulations guidelines in order to improve compliance;
*  to require government-funded housing to meet at least level 3 of the code;
*  to introduce Energy Performance Certificates for new and existing houses;
*  to develop a new Planning Policy Statement on climate change;
*  to urge planning authorities to set ambitious policies on renewable energy.’

Most of the proposals are now a reality… including the home energy certification.  Now in 2006 it must have seemed a very difficult task to change peoples ideas about sustainability and energy performance legislation.  Now in 2009 it’s a reality!

Here at the BuilderScrap HQ we’re concerned about all aspects of the environmental climate cycle. We Believe all contractors and Local Builders should understand the challenges local government have targeted in emission reduction.

The UK Government has a goal of cutting the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent on 1990 levels by 2050 with real progress in the region of reductions of 50–75 million tons of carbon being made by 2020. To date, we have achieved a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 16 per cent below 1990 levels and it is anticipated that that figure will increase to 24 per cent by 2010.

Following Europe’s lead by the introduction of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), there has been a raft of legislative activity in the UK. The Government’s Energy White Paper was published in 2003, followed by its Action Plan for Energy Efficiency in 2004. In addition, an Energy Review was announced in November 2005 to review the progress made towards meeting the goals set out in the Energy White Paper. The 2006 Climate Change and sustainable Energy Act received royal assent on 21st June, 2006 and an EU Energy Efficiency Action Plan, to be implemented over the next six years, has recently been announced. This has a target of reducing energy consumption by 20 per cent across the EU by 2020 and will expand the EPBD (see below). Most recently, a white paper on energy has been published, called Meeting the Energy Challenge, which annexes the fourth annual report on progress towards the 2003 Energy White Paper goals.

As part of the Government’s implementation of the EPBD, effective from 6th April, 2006, the Government has amended energy requirements contained within Part L of the Building Regulations, in particular requirements relating to efficiency of boilers and ventilation systems and energy saving insulation and a Planning White Paper on climate change has recently been published, in which the location and design of new developments and the use of renewable energy sources is addressed.

www.blog.builderscrap.com will publish more of these targets and governement directives so let us know your thoughts

Sustainable building product exhibition

For nearly 30 years Hargould has provided construction professionals and product manufacturers with a unique opportunity to meet and discuss the latest product innovations and key industry issues, in an environment that is convenient, friendly and conducive to business. New ecoSHOWCASE – Promoting Sustainable Construction Demonstrate – Discover – Debate Our new ecoShowcase feature will provide a forum for the most important issue in building and construction today. Demonstrate See new and innovative ecological and sustainable products at the exhibition. Discover Learn about the latest legislation and sustainable construction guidlines from the leading oraganisations and associations in our CPD seminars. Debate The Hargould ecoSHOWCASE provides a unique forum to discuss these issues with the leading product suppliers, industry associations and fellow construction professionals

For more information click here

Another press release from WRAP has highlighted several major companies, including Asda and Laing O’Rourke, who have signed up to WRAP’s Halving Waste from Landfill commitment.

The targets are to halve the amount of construction waste send to landfill by 2012. The agreement has been signed by both clients and contractors.

Commenting on its rationale for signing up to Halving Waste to Landfill, Barry Springgay, Construction Director at ASDA said: “By making a concrete pledge to send zero construction waste to landfill from both our store and depot operations by the end of 2010, we’re pioneering a cleaner, smarter way of working.

“By auditing exactly what materials are needed for each building project and segregating any waste that’s produced so that it can be reused or recycled, we’re expecting to save more than £1m a year, and divert 12,000 tonnes from landfill annually.”

Site Waste Management Plans are one way to monitor and predict waste outputs, and along with better, smarter ordering, waste should be kept to a minimum. Where products can be, they should be reused. If this isn’t possible, or BuilderScrap can be used to pass on any items to someone who can reuse them.

To read the original press release, click here