Last month some of our staff attended the BE-ST International Retrofit Conference 2024. One month on, Christine and Ben have taken time to reflect on the key aspects of the conference.
Senior Architect Christine commented:
“What a fantastic day full of inspiring talks and workshops on the importance of retrofit and community, with some great takeaways. Retrofit has such a fundamental role to play in the climate emergency, but it is so much more than just carbon emissions. We need to take a holistic approach to retrofit, understanding the societal and wellbeing benefits which come from healthier buildings, and appreciate that each decision we make now, however small, can have a massive impact on the future of people and planet. I’m also very excited about the launch of Retrofit Scotland, can’t wait to get involved!
One takeaway which really struck a chord with me was a point made within the talk given by Imandeep Kaur and Charlie Edmonds of CIVIC SQUARE on the impact of switching and expanding our electricity networks. Installing new networks requires minerals such as copper, which is a finite mined resource. This mining not only results in a loss of biodiversity and habitat, but there is not enough of these minerals to meet the required demands. We are all very focussed on carbon, but sometimes fail to see the bigger picture of what other impacts our decisions have on the rest of the world. Retrofit is not only about creating healthier buildings for people to live in, but this should also represent re-use of existing materials without the need to mine our already depleted and overstretched resources. Even small decisions can have a big impact.”
Associate Ben commented:
“The theme for BE-ST Fest 2024 was ‘Turning Ambition to Action’. We have spent many years as a profession talking about the necessity to transition to a net zero society as if it’s something for the future. The reality is the transition has started and to meet the targets of net zero by 2045 we need to accelerate the transition. We need to turn words into action, and we need to do so equitably and affordably.
The world has a limited carbon budget to stay within 1.5degrees which we are rapidly burning through. The slower the transition is now, the steeper and more expensive it will be in the future.
The cost of climate change is already happening, with insurance companies no longer willing to cover for flooding, wildfires and other weather events in some areas or premiums rising to unaffordable levels. Health across the country is being affected by droughts, flooding and excess heat from climate change and mould and damp in poor-quality buildings. Water scarcity, drought, flooding and sea level rises are driving climate related migration.
Joanna Yarrow (Human Nature) noted that every 5 weeks we move 1% closer to the 2030 climate target. We are however, not making the same progress. Politicians are focussed on the short term not setting the frameworks for meeting our climate targets.
How can we be part of the solution?
We need to create designs that are ‘People and Planet Positive’, to create a better everyday life for people within the limits of the planet and with an environmental conscience. Too often the design, building and operation of places makes ecological and social problems worse, reinforcing a carbon-based society and disrupting neighbourhoods and communities in the name of retrofit. Retrofit is about more than just carbon emissions, it’s about health & wellbeing, society, learning and economics. Retrofit needs to bring along existing communities and stitched into existing infrastructure.
There is currently a problem of agency. 85% of people surveyed are concerned about the environment but only 6% feel they can influence and make a difference. We need to create the environment that enables agency, that improves literacy and understanding, that inspires people to act, that supports people to act. We can only achieve this by working together, by sharing knowledge and talking but not preaching to people. By telling stories about what worked and, just as importantly, what didn’t.
To move from ambition to action, we need to focus on outcomes. We need to try to do at least ‘just one thing’ in each project, no matter how big or small and keep trying. We can all be active agents for change. As Anita Roddick said, “do something, do anything”
