Viewpoint: Time to be better

Can very low-carbon buildings be constructed cheaply enough to suit the pockets of private-sector commercial developers? Yes, says Professor John French.

In a thought-provoking opinion piece, Mike Bather argues that the profession has a moral responsibility to thoughtfully reconsider its approach to business in the face of worsening climate breakdown – and to do this straight away.

Buro Happold and WSP UK have committed to reducing the carbon emissions of their designs by 50% by 2030. In this article, Sarah Prichard and David Leversha set out the rationale for this target, explain how they plan to achieve this, and encourage other firms to join them in setting an ambitious agenda for governments to follow as we approach the COP26 climate summit.