RICS welcomes new ministerial appointments

With yesterday’s reshuffle now complete, RICS would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new ministerial appointments and reaffirm our commitment to working in partnership with UK government to deliver confidence for public advantage and social impact.

Comprising some 40% of global carbon emissions, the built and natural environment must operate in more sustainable way, and RICS is working with governments and businesses across the globe to champion sustainable practices, and to better measure and understand the sector’s environmental impacts.

The UK government has made legally binding commitments to deliver greenhouse gas reductions and, to deliver them, the new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will need to prioritise tackling the sustainability challenge and lead the governmental response to climate change. 

Though energy security is critical for the UK’s future development, there remains a pressing need to appropriately resource comprehensive retrofit measures across the country in order to reduce energy use.  By improving energy efficiency in - and reducing carbon emissions from - UK building stock, new industries will be created and reliance on fossil fuels will be reduced.

Decarbonising the built and natural environment is imperative for the UK’s social, economic, and environmental future, and RICS and our profession stand ready to support the government in delivering this important objective.

Emmet McDonough-Brown, RICS Senior Public Affairs Officer