So much food for thought at FOOTPRINT+
So much food for thought at FOOTPRINT+, which I'll be digesting for some time to come. The various sustainability needles at play are moving, with some more than others, but altogether, a positive snapshot of the current and planned sustainability initiatives across the built environment.
My key takeaways from the event:
▶️ Lots of case studies for residential and commercial projects leading on circularity and decarbonisation are helping move sustainability discussions beyond "the art of the possible" - shoutout to Beyond Apartments & Aparthotels for representing the sustainable hospitality sector
▶️ Practices large and small are still grappling with roadblocks from insurers when developing concepts for mass timber architectural projects, but there are some fearless leaders out there pushing through and setting precedents - incumbent consensus is that discussions with insurers around mass timber should begin at RIBA stages 0-2
▶️ Cities like New York City are poised to roll out carbon emissions taxes based on floor area, and the UK is watching
▶️ Material production, reuse and recycling are coming along with budding "urban mining" supply chains emerging
▶️ If your traditional funders are struggling to to make green loans more viable, philanthropists and impact lenders are trying to bridge the gap
I was fortunate to be included in a roundtable discussion on evidence-based approaches to tackling climate change for owners, insurers, lenders, builders, architects and engineers hosted by Hydrock and it is truly impressive how a significant number of built environment stakeholders are strategising and acting in lieu of stick, or carrot, from central government.
Well done to the #FP24 team, exhibitors, speakers and delegates. Looking forward to the next one.
By Bryan O.
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