CIBSE updates its Climate Action Plan

Second review for publication informed by members, institutions and wider industry

CIBSE has updated its Climate Action Plan, mapping current and planned activities in the areas where it considers it has a duty and the ability to act.

CIBSE has been active for many years in promoting policies and measures to mitigate climate change, to adapt our buildings to the changing climate, and to establish the critical link between how buildings perform in operation and their carbon impact.

The Action Plan was first published in 2019 to increase efforts, and included a commitment to review the plan regularly – this is the second annual update.

The plan areas related to CIBSE as a professional institution, premises, events and dissemination, policy research, and competence and training.

It includes the following actions and commitments:
■ Contributed and signed up to the cross-industry climate action plan and coordinating workstream 7 on in-use performance
■ Seeking to increase awareness of the CIBSE Code of Conduct – for example, the promotion of Guide L
■ Implementing energy efficiency measures and monitoring our office performance
■ A sustainability policy, covering activities, events, premises, staff and procurement
■ Improvement plan for our offices for better efficiency, health and wellbeing of staff
■ Regular reporting on zero carbon agenda in CIBSE Journal, blog, newsletter and website, and at events and online webinars
■ Requirement for in-use performance data for CIBSE Awards – and a new data entry form launched for 2022 awards
■ Continuing to work with the Royal Institute of British Architects to align sustainability criteria in our awards to enable them to feed into benchmark database
■ New knowledge transfer partnership to update CIBSE weather files
■ Contributed to the joint industry Climate Framework curriculum
■ Commitment to introduce mandatory CPD on climate change and safety
■ Commitment to review our corporate grade entry criteria and how they could better incorporate climate change competence.

The plan has been informed by input from members, professional institutions and the wider industry.

● To read the updated Climate Action Plan in full, visit CIBSE – Building Services News and Policy