“CAA with the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council (CEC), Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP), Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE). This informal group of built environment professions was formed in 1997 to participate in the Commonwealth People’s Forum held prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Edinburgh. In recent years it has organised successful London seminars reflecting on sustainability, urbanisation, and climate change attracting a diverse audience of professionals representing the Commonwealth in London. Presentations included: ‘The role of cities in mitigation and city-based adaptation’. David Satterthwaite, Senior Fellow, Human Settlements Group, International Institute for Environment and Development ‘Climate Change: spatial responses to a Global Crisis’ Will French, RTPI Manager, Global Planners Network ‘STEP Towards Sustainability’ Dr Ann Heywood, Principal of The College of Estate Management, Reading ‘Towards the low carbon school’, Robin Nicholson, CBE, Edward Cullinan Architects, Formerly Vice-President of the RIBA (1992-94), Chairman of CIC (1998-2000) and CABE Commissioner. He chaired the DCSF Zero Carbon (Schools) Task Force whose recommendations were accepted by the Secretary of State in January 2010. Tom Foulkes, President of CEC chaired the discussion period. The convenor was Dr Clifford Dann, Chairman of CASLE who also chaired the seminar which was closed by Robert Peto, President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Neil Bailey, CEC secretary, who reported on the event concluded; ‘There is no doubt that built environment professionals have an important role to play in developing and implementing robust mitigation and adaptation measures throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. To be effective, however, there is a need for fundamental cultural change, individually and institutionally. While the training and accreditation of professionals remains significant, it is important to remember that lay knowledges and intuition are powerful interlocutors between professional knowledge and the implementation of suitable and sustainable schemes. In addition, there is a clear need for more systematic and better data generation, in order that built environment professionals have a more objective assessment of the impact of different designs and management regimes, and so that they are able to engage more effectively building users and other related professions. Finally, of course, the ability to implement cultural change starts with each individual and his or her commitment to review and reduce their consumption of energy intensive goods and services.’
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