Session Synopsis

The clock is ticking. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change continuing to remind us that we still have (just enough) time to avoid the worst effects of a warming planet, architects (or at least those motivated by such considerations) have little choice but to act.

How should they go about this? How can specifiers ensure the buildings they design are not only sustainable in an operational sense but also in terms of embodied carbon?

To take the example of flooring, what is the best way to ensure the floor you choose ticks all the sustainability boxes. How can you make sure it helps minimise the carbon footprint of your project, and was also sourced and manufactured in a manner that minimises potential damage to ecosystems, waterways, public health, and so on.

Titled ‘Sustainable Flooring Choices – Specification in a Time of Crisis’, this CPD Live session addresses these questions and more. Our speakers examine the best ways to ensure flooring products are not just functional and attractive, but also sustainable.

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

• Quantify the construction sector’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Define the terms ‘embodied carbon’, ‘circular economy’, and ‘product lifecycle’ and explain how they relate to the construction sector, and in particular to flooring products.
• Identify some of the harmful by-products of some flooring manufacturing processes.
• Explain how specifiers can assess the sustainability of various flooring products.

Watch Now