Construction and The Climate

A building block in most construction projects, concrete is responsible for about 8 percent of global carbon emissions. Several companies are working to create a greener mix. One of those companies is CarbonCure Technologies a company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. For this episode, Ruth Keating and Camilla ter Haar are joined by Chad Mahoney of CarbonCure Technologies to discuss more sustainable concrete production.

In this podcast episode, Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss force majeure clauses – in particular how our understanding of force majeure may have to adapt over time in light of climate change.

In this episode, Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating are joined by Simon Sturgis. Simon Sturgis is widely recognised as an expert, an innovator and a lateral thinker in delivering a low carbon, resource efficient, built environment. He has led UK thinking and produced industry guidance for the RICS, RIBA, UKGBC, BCO and others which has already changed the way projects are designed and built in the UK. Camilla, Ruth and Simon discuss the first edition of the RICS Whole life carbon assessment standard and the upcoming second edition (effective from July this year).

In this episode Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating are joined by Will Wild. Will is the Built Environment Lead at the Climate Champions Team. He supports the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions in accelerating the action and ambition of business and industry towards a decarbonised and resilient built environment. Camilla, Ruth and Will discuss the Buildings & Climate Global Forum, the Ministerial Declaration (Declaration de Chaillot) made at the Forum, as well as the findings of the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction.

In this podcast episode, Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) with Dr Jane Anderson of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products. Jane, Ruth and Camilla discuss the development, process and challenges associated with EPDs – along with their increasing prevalence in the industry.

In this episode, Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss trends in construction arbitration with Alexandre Vagenheim, Vice-President of Global Legal Data, Jus Mundi. Alexandre, Ruth and Camilla discuss trends relating to construction, environmental issues, and how environmental issues arise in construction arbitration.

In this episode, Ruth Keating and Camilla ter Haar are joined by Dan Miles. Dan is an experienced chartered quantity surveyor and expert witness working on high-value, complex disputes and has given evidence on multiple occasions in various international arbitrations. This episode discusses quantifying loss in complex construction and climate change disputes.

In this episode, Ruth Keating and Camilla ter Haar are joined by Tim Cousin of Roofscapes. Roofscapes is a startup from the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, with a mission of transforming untapped rooftops into green roofs as a way to mitigate the effects of climate change and to provide new outdoor spaces in cities. This episode discusses how to turn the skyline into a garden.

In this episode, Ruth Keating and Camilla ter Haar are joined by Will Wild, the Built Environment Lead at the Climate Champions Team. Will talked through the profile and presence of the built environment at COP28, the sector’s response to the global stocktake, the launch of the Buildings Breakthrough and recommendations for how the industry can move forward with positive action.

In this episode, Ruth Keating and Camilla ter Haar are joined by Audrey Nugent, Director of Global Advocacy at the World Green Building Council. Ruth, Camilla and Audrey discuss what to expect at COP28 in relation to the built environment; the Building to COP Coalition, the Global Stocktake, the Buildings Breakthrough and the Circular Built Environment Playbook.

In this episode Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss ‘How to Measure Embodied Carbon’ with Sean Clemons. Sean Clemons is the UK Managing Director of MGAC and has a wealth of project experience both as a chartered quantity surveyor and as a project manager on the full spectrum of construction projects and specialising in major mixed use development, higher education and complex public-private regeneration initiatives.

In this episode of Construction and the Climate, Ruth and Camilla discuss retrofitting – what is it, why does it matter and what legal challenges will retrofitting pose?

In this episode Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss ‘Retrofitting’ with Will Hurst. Will Hurst is Managing Editor of Architects' Journal (AJ). He is an award-winning journalist who has spent his career writing about architecture and the built environment. In particular he has written extensively about the sector’s contribution to the climate crisis and is currently leading the AJ’s anti-demolition campaign RetroFirst.

In this episode, Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating are joined by Dominic Lion, director and head of sustainable real estate at Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage. Camilla, Ruth and Dominic discuss the insurance challenges for the construction sector in working to achieve net zero in construction.

In this episode of Construction and the Climate, Ruth and Camilla look back on the ten episodes in the series so far and draw out five key highlights for listeners.

In this episode Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss ‘Contracting for the Climate: Focus on Contractual Updates’ with Jeremy Glover. Jeremy is a Partner at Fenwick Elliott LLP, specialising in construction energy and engineering law at home and abroad. He is a member of both the Advisory Panel of the Built Environment Committee for The Chancery Lane Project and the FIDIC Net Zero Task Group, TG23, as well as being the President-Elect of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation. This podcast episode explores the intersection between climate change and clauses in contracts, such as the JCT, NEC and FIDIC.

In this episode Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss ‘Contracting for the Climate: Global Trends’ with Tiffanie Chan. Tiffanie is a Policy Analyst for the LSE’s Grantham Research Institute’s Climate Change Laws of the World project. She is currently working on several projects exploring legal pathways to net zero, impacts of climate laws, and corruption risks in climate action. Prior to her role at the Grantham Research Institute, Tiffanie worked in London and Hong Kong as a corporate lawyer in an international law firm. The LSE Grantham Research Institute has published its 2023 Global Trends report. This podcast episode discusses those trends in the 2023 report and what they mean for the construction sector.

In this episode Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss greenwashing claims with Miles Lockwood. Miles is director of complaints and investigations at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Miles joined the ASA in 2010 and is responsible for leading the complaints and investigations teams, dealing with over 30,000 complaints per year. This episode covers the ASA’s guidance on misleading environmental claims and what businesses should consider when making environmental claims, in particular when making claims in relation to carbon neutrality and net zero.

In this episode, Ruth Keating and Camilla ter Haar discuss greenwashing claims and how they relate to the construction sector. Camilla and Ruth discuss what can be done by the construction sector and those advising construction sector clients, on how to avoid greenwashing, without the need to greenhush.

In this episode Camilla ter Haar and Ruth Keating discuss ‘Constructing for the Climate – The Road to Net Zero’ with Victoria Burrows. Victoria is Director of Advancing Net Zero, World Green Building Council’s pioneering, global programme to accelerate total decarbonisation of the built environment. Victoria has a background in the sustainable development industry, ranging from client side advisory services, green building rating tool consultancy, and an on-site Head of Sustainability for a major international contractor. She has also co-authored the book ‘A Whole System Approach to High-Performance Green Buildings’. This episode discusses the tools, programmes and ideas that are paving the way to net zero.