Decarbonise At Speed Or Get Left Behind!

Neil Koenig, TV Producer, Journalist and ideaXme board advisor interviews Keith Clarke CBE, a senior construction industry figure shaping the modern sustainably built world and passionate environmental campaigner.

Keith is currently Chair of Constructionarium, Member of Advisory Board, Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University and Director Women in Property Network. Moreover, until recently he was Chairman of the Forum for the Future, a leading international sustainability non-profit.

A 40 Year Career in the International Construction Industry

Over the past 40 years Clarke has worked in all sectors of the UK and international construction industry, including as Executive Vice President of Skanska AB, Chief Executive of Trafalgar House Construction and Chief Executive of Kvaerner Construction. 

He has held executive positions at Olympia & York and New York City Public Development Corporation, as well as working as an adviser to the Qatari Government. As Chief Executive of the UK’s largest engineering consultants WS Atkins for the eight years to 2011, Keith led the business to considerable growth, supporting its investment in the Middle East and its involvement in the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games. He is also credited with shaping Atkins to respond to opportunities created by the low carbon economy.

Constructionarium:

Constructionarium is a unique learning experience for students studying built environment courses, allowing them to apply the theoretical knowledge in a safe practical setting whist replicating iconic structures from around the world.

The Environmental Change Institute, Oxford:

The Environmental Change Institute, Oxford was established in 1991 'to organize and promote interdisciplinary research on the nature, causes and impact of environmental change and to contribute to the development of management strategies for coping with future environmental change'.

Women in Property Network:

Women in Property Network creates opportunities, expands knowledge and inspires change for women working in the property and construction industry. They believe that success and its rewards should be founded on merit and expertise, rather than gender. They support young females aspiring to a career in the built environment sector, as well as supporting those in ‘mid-career’ and at board level.

Excerpt of transcript:

Keith Clarke, Chair of Constructionarium[00:49:51] The good aspect of CO2e, is that you turn it into a singular driver. I think for agriculture and big infrastructure projects, biodiversity net gain is another complexity. So not to belittle that, you've got to deal with the biodiversity issue. But for most buildings or in an urban context, CO2e, carbon dioxide equivalent and greenhouse gas equivalence is a really good singular driver of a new design parameter. It manifests itself in all sorts of ways. Can you reuse the structure? Can you add two floors to the existing foundations?

Keith Clarke, Chair of Constructionarium[00:51:58] . The issues we've had with quality, certainly in the UK have been about standards and we have a disgraceful issue going on with fire protection in the UK and in one particular sector, which is housing. All of those things will have to be addressed. However, decarbonising at speed means you really are going to disrupt the industry. So, embrace it or get left behind.

Full transcript: www.radioideaxme.com 

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