Holding up a mirror: CIBSE’s climate action plan

Creating a Climate Action Plan that mirrors CIBSE’s will ensure that engineers and organisations are being proactive in taking on the climate emergency. Julie Godefroy is keen to hear your views ahead of the next update in the autumn

Posted in July 2024

In 2019, CIBSE published its first Climate Action Plan to communicate what it does, identify gaps, and plan future work. The plan extends to all areas in which CIBSE can have an impact on the built environment through policy, education and practice, as well as its own activities. The plan is updated every year.

Below are some of the latest activities and commitments in the Climate Action Plan, which is available at moredetails.uk/3LbcQIL.

  • Our role as a professional institution The CIBSE Code of Conduct states that members shall promote the principles of sustainability and seek to prevent avoidable adverse impacts on the environment and society. Further, CIBSE will collaborate with other organisations, including through the Construction Industry Council Climate Action Plan. 
  • Practising what we preach In July 2021, CIBSE moved its investment portfolio to an ethical investment fund; CIBSE’s new offices will test the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.
  • Events, dissemination and awards CIBSE regularly reviews the criteria for Building Performance Awards, and places climate action at the heart of reporting in the CIBSE Journal, including a regular focus on the retrofit agenda.   
  • Education Guidance for CIBSE-accredited higher education degrees was updated in 2023, placing more emphasis in the curriculum on the climate emergency.
  • Training and professional development As of 1 January 2024, all corporate members of CIBSE are required to complete at least one semi-structured continuing professional development (CPD) activity on sustainability and net zero, and provide reflection on each.
  • Policy CIBSE has recently: responded to consultations on the Future Homes/Buildings Standards; supported Part Z; contributed to Chris Skidmore’s Mission retrofit report; and continued advocacy for more policy attention to retrofit and to the actual performance of buildings.
  • Research Recent examples include future weather files and research leading to TM65 guidance on embodied carbon
  • Guidance Latest examples include: 2023 Guide M revision; updated guidance on heat pumps; and continued development of the TM65 series on embodied carbon. Over 2024/25, CIBSE will start a workstream on low carbon heat networks.

Mirror action plan

In the past few years, members have told us that they would like guidance on how to develop their own climate action plan, building on and complementing CIBSE’s.

As a result, in last year’s update we introduced a draft Mirror Climate Action Plan. This proposes actions and commitments that organisations and individuals could take to frame their climate action. It is currently open for comments before we finalise it in this year’s update.

Draft Mirror Climate Action Plan

  1. Offer operational energy modelling, embodied carbon, and post-occupancy evaluation services on all projects.
  2. Offer a net zero option to clients on all projects.
  3. Ensure that all technical staff take CPD on climate action (net zero and climate adaptation) at least once a year.
  4. Monitor and disclose the energy use of offices; set out a plan, with objectives for energy use and moving away from fossil fuels.
  5. Contribute to industry efforts and knowledge. For example, give staff the opportunity to contribute to volunteer networks on climate action; disseminate lessons learned via industry events/publications/public channels; give energy and carbon data to CIBSE and the Built Environment Carbon Database.

The Mirror Climate Action Plan was discussed at June’s Decarbonisation Conference in London, and attendees’ suggestions included:

  • Retain both sides to the recommendations – ie, client engagement (points 1 and 2),and organisations’ actions (points 3, 4 and 5)
  • Keep the Mirror plan voluntary at this stage, but consider ways to incorporate it in other initiatives in the future – as part of the CIBSE Chartered Organisation requirements, for example
  • Work with other professional institutions, so that similar actions are recommended across disciplines
  • Recommend assessing and reporting business travel, as this is the largest direct impact on emissions for most engineering firms.
  • Extend the recommendation for climate action CPD to all staff, not just technical employees
  • Provide guidance and examples alongside recommended actions.

Call for comments

The Climate Action Plan and Mirror plan will be revised in  the autumn. Send comments by 15 August to Julie Godefroy, CIBSE’s head of net zero policy, at JGodefroy@cibse.org. Please send examples of your organisation’s efforts, or climate action topics that you would like CIBSE to work on in the future.

  • The CIBSE Building Performance Awards are open for entries until 30 August. Visit www.cibse.org/bpa for more information

Dr Julie Godefroy is head of net zero policy at CIBSE