As we approach COP26, the impacts of climate change and the ecological crisis are clear, with the IPCC report described by the UN Secretary General as the ‘code red for humanity’. To give the built environment the knowledge it needs to take action now, sustainable construction event Futurebuild has partnered with The Edge to ask — are we ready for COP26? This series of three lunch-time webinars, taking place on September 9, September 23 and October 7 will explore how we can engage better to address the political, economic, environmental and cultural issues so that we can act with both urgency and agency for the transformational change that is needed. Sign up for the webinars here.

In November 2021, the COP26 summit will bring the parties together to accelerate action towards the net zero emissions goal. However, the built environment is aware that it cannot wait until COP26 for answers, it must act now. In this webinar series a wide range of specialists including Baroness Parminter, Chair of the Lords Select Committee on Environment and Climate Change, Julie Hill MBE, the Chair of the Institution of Environmental Sciences and Matt Browne, Advocacy Lead, Wildlife and Countryside Link will share their expertise and discuss what actions we can all take now. For each session we have also invited a practitioner to explain what the industry is doing.

“COP26 is a critical focal point, but the outcome of the IPCC report shows that we cannot hesitate,” explained Martin Hurn, event director at Futurebuild. “We believe that the best way to take action is to collaborate with experts from inside and outside the industry, inviting them to share their understanding about how we can address key industry issues. By inviting speakers from the political arena, wildlife organisations and academia, alongside practitioners, we can exchange ideas for the urgent and necessary transformation of the built environment and the way we live in it.”

The first webinar on September 9, will explore how the built environment can engage better with politics and economics to promote rapid industrial change. Over 200 top UK firms have called on the government to make a Covid-19 recovery that prioritises the environment. Aligning what the industry needs to do and government legislation is an ongoing challenge that needs to be addressed.

The second webinar in the series on September 23, considers how we can protect and enhance the natural environment right now. Our environmental specialists will discuss the impact of climate change and the urgent need for adaptation, the decline in the UK’s biodiversity and the policies and regulations that we need to reverse this situation. We all need to understand the impact of our actions and the changes that we must make to protect our natural environment.

The final webinar on October 7 will discuss how the UK can engage with climate change and find a solution now. 70 per cent of people in the UK support action on climate change but how much action are people willing to take and how could they be inspired to do more? The panel will discuss how a more sustainability-focused culture would help, the degree of change required and the urgency to make this cultural shift.

Why wait until COP26 to start your discussions about a more sustainable built environment? Register for the webinar series for free here.