Creating an Equitable and Green Tomorrow
The Role of ‘Just Transition’ in Transforming Our Built Environment"
No one is left behind
Built from the efforts of North American labour unions in the 1970s, the concept of Just Transition has evolved to tackle one of the biggest challenges of our time: the climate emergency.
As the global community moves towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Just Transition emerges as a crucial strategy to ensure no one is left behind. This approach strives to balance the scales, maximising the benefits of climate action while safeguarding the livelihoods and communities most affected by this seismic shift.
Highlighted in the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, Just Transition underscores the importance of social inclusion, equity, and human rights in our journey towards a sustainable future.
Advancing a Just Transition in the built environment involves several key strategies:
Promoting Health and Equity: Address energy poverty, improve indoor environmental quality, and ensure social equity throughout supply chains.
Reducing Emissions: Focus on energy efficiency, net-zero carbon emissions, and the use of renewable energy.
Enhancing Resilience: Future-proof homes and communities to adapt to environmental, social, and economic changes.
Supporting Clean Energy Transition: Shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy creates a sustainable energy grid.
Minimising Material Use and Waste: Adopt circular economy practices, emphasising reuse and retrofitting of assets.
Regenerating Natural Resources: Focus on water conservation and ecosystem services.
Carbon and the Built Environment
The buildings and construction sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, contributing 37% of global emissions.
The sector's significant carbon footprint arises from the production and use of materials like cement, steel, and aluminium. Property comprises 60% of the world’s assets, and construction employs 7% of the global workforce. Projections indicate that global material use will more than double by 2060, with a substantial portion attributed to building materials.
The built environment accounts for a significant proportion of carbon emissions in the UK. Government reports indicate that the built environment accounts for 25% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions, with an additional 10% directly associated with construction.
Recent progress includes changes to building regulations introduced in June 2022, requiring new homes to produce 31% lower carbon emissions. The Future Homes and Buildings Standard, set to be published in 2025, aims to cut new homes’ carbon emissions by a further 75-80%.
Case study Projects
The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is working with partners on a two-year project, Building for Today and the Future, to strengthen action for a just transition in the built environment. The project focuses on measures to reduce emissions from buildings and construction and to strengthen resilience in ways that ensure:
The right to adequate housing, which encompasses elements such as security of tenure, affordability and habitability
Construction workers’ rights, on-site and through supply chains
Non-discrimination and spatial justice so that climate action in the built environment reduces rather than deepens existing inequality
Meaningful participation so that all residents have opportunities to shape decisions that impact their lives
Opportunities and Green Skills
As the global population is projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, and building floor area is expected to double by 2060, the built environment plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable development. Opportunities in this transition include creating green jobs and fostering economic growth through sustainable practices.
The United Nations defines green skills as the knowledge and abilities needed for a sustainable and resource-efficient society. These skills encompass technical knowledge like clean energy engineering and interpersonal skills such as effective communication and project management. Despite the increasing demand for green skills, there is a significant gap in the workforce, with only one in eight workers possessing these skills. Addressing this gap is essential for meeting the demands of a net-zero carbon economy.
Case Study Project 1 | The Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce, City of London
Keith Bottomley, the City of London Corporation's taskforce chair and deputy chairman of policy, leads the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce. Charles Begley is the City Property Association's task force deputy chair and chief executive.
The Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce aims to identify and bridge skill gaps to ensure Central London has a globally competitive, sustainable commercial built environment, which is needed to retain our world-leading financial and professional services sector.
The Taskforce is a three-year project led by the City of London Corporation to boost the supply of skilled workers for sustainable buildings. It will bring together employers, training providers, industry bodies across the commercial built environment sector, and national and local government.
FInd out more here: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/supporting-businesses/business-support-and-advice/skills-for-a-sustainable-skyline-taskforce.
Case Study Project 2 | The C40 Network
C40 Cities Climate Leadership UK (“C40 Cities UK”) operates as part of the C40 Cities Network, which is headed by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Inc (“C40 Cities US”) in the United States.
C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities who are working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere, can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global warming to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable, and resilient communities.
Find out more here: https://www.c40.org/c40-uk/
Conclusion
A Just Transition in the built environment is vital for addressing climate change while ensuring social equity. We can create resilient communities and drive economic growth by focusing on sustainable practices, reducing emissions, and promoting green skills.
The transformative change needed to decarbonise the global economy presents a unique opportunity to mitigate climate impacts and foster a fair and inclusive society. Your leadership is crucial for industry leaders and politicians. We need bold actions and innovative policies to build a sustainable world for ourselves and future generations. The world's biggest challenge—achieving net-zero targets by 2025—demands our commitment and vision. Now is the time to act decisively and collaboratively to ensure a prosperous, equitable future for all.
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