07:05 "think 07" Conference
1-3 May 2007, Excel Centre, London

Please also Go to - THINK07 - AZHAR PHOTOS

www.think07.co.uk

Introduction

The built environment accounts for about 50% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions and it’s increasingly clear that we have to change the way we design, construct and use buildings – and do so fast. This means rethinking the whole process and taking a fresh look at what we mean by, and how we achieve, a sustainable built environment – from specifying low energy lighting to creating places where people really want to live and work.

Think took place from 1-3 May 2007 at ExCeL, London and was a new landmark event for the UK construction and property markets, comprising high-profile conferences, exhibitions and networking opportunities around three themes: sustainability, regeneration and innovation.

Think gathered together the country’s leading opinion formers and thinkers to debate:

- How the built environment meet today’s changing environmental, economic and social needs
- What needs to happen to make the built environment truly ‘fit for purpose’ in a carbon-constrained world
- What sustainability means for the private sector and government bodies involved in regeneration?
- The wider responsibilities of the property and construction industries as we deal with the issues of climate change, urban renewal and redevelopment

DAY 1 - May 1st 2007

A Royal Response to Climate Change

Think kicked off on a high note with a royal address from HRH the Prince of Wales.

His Royal Highness called for business leaders to create a single action plan on climate change, saying, "I want to mobilise as many companies as possible to take action, and change the way they do business. No one is here as a spectator, and it is my hope that this is not going to be just another discussion."

The Politics of Sustainability

Former US Vice President Al Gore led the way at an international level, addressing delegates through a live satellite link direct from New Orleans. Gore’s ‘carbon free’ attendance follows hot on the heels of his recent Oscar win for Best Documentary Feature with An Inconvenient Truth, and saw the former VP giving an exclusive perspective on the environment and new business management, as well as the future of the world and the future of the world economy.

Government Dialogue

One of the most hotly anticipated speakers of the day was, however, the Deputy PM John Prescott. Driving down into the most fundamental issue of practicality, Mr Prescott closed the day’s proceedings by outlining a series of steps that the government can take to support the built environment as it aims to reduce its carbon emissions.

Al Gore calls for industry to speed up green initiatives
Speaking Live from New Orleans at THINK07
1st May, 2007

"Climate change is the most dangerous crisis we've ever faced says former vice president

Former American vice president Al Gore has called on industry to accelerate the introduction of new design initiatives to improve the built environment and also warned that a price had to be put on carbon-based pollution.

Al Gore: "We must have the courage to stand in the breach today"
Addressing delegates at the Think07 conference via a live video link from New Orleans, he said that climate change was “the most dangerous crisis we've ever faced in our civilisation.”

The author of Oscar award-winning documentary An inconvenient Truth told delegates: “You are taking a big step by coming together over three days and taking about how you can solve this crisis.”

“It is up to us to accelerate the introduction of new ideas, new principles and new design ideas and make them viable," he said.

Gore praised the UK's leadership in the fight against climate change, and compared it to the stance the country took in the second world war.

"People in the United Kingdom stood in the breach [during World War II] and said we will stand in the face of terror. We must have the courage to stand in the breach today," he said.

The Think Charter was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott with a view to establishing a dialogue between industry and government on how to combat climate change. Measures range from examining the design and construction of new buildings to reducing the carbon footprint of billions of pounds worth of property already in use.

View the Charter and register your support at www.think07.co.uk/ten

THINK CHARTER

Delegates of Think 07 were asked to sign up to some or all of the pledges.

The 10 pledges range from measures on design and construction of new buildings to reducing the carbon footprint of billions of pounds of property already in use.

They are:

1: To draw up SMART targets for the reduction of carbon emissions, waste and water, and to promote biodiversity.

2: To develop industry-wide, consistent carbon modelling and measurement tools for existing and new buildings to achieve these targets.

3: To halve the amount of construction waste taken to landfill sites every two years.

4: To devise a more effective renewable energy strategy, including district-wide strategies.

5 To encourage landlords and occupiers to share and publish data on buildings’ energy consumption, with the aim of collectively reducing emissions.

6: To adopt operational energy labeling certificates across all buildings.

7: For landlords to adopt a new code on leases which discourages the reinstatement of properties to their original state.

8: To promote the use of lifecycle analysis, including embedded and operational carbon emissions.

9: Every building to have a master `off’ switch.

10: To encourage the adoption across the construction and property industries of the May Day commitment to action.

Addressing the transport paradox - Kent
In line with the commitment of the built environment to combat climate change Michael Ward, Chief Executive of Kent Thameside Delivery Board, has confronted one of the most problematic issues in sustainable regeneration; the provision of a practical and integrated transport infrastructure.

Speaking at Think, Michael stressed that the one-size-fits-all approach is no longer appropriate, saying, "Although transport is key to any development scheme, it is no longer about large-scale road networks. It’s about tailor-made, local solutions that bring together investment in public transport as well as ways of managing wider demand."

Who was there?
Academy For Sustainable Communities
amec
Archiprint
ASDA
Autodesk Limited
Barbour ABI
Barbour Compendium
Barbour.info
Baxi Commercial Heating
British Home Awards
British Property Federation
British Urban Regeneration Association
BT Cisco Partnership
Calthorpe Estates
CB Richard Ellis
Chartered Institute Of Building
CIRIA
CM Parker Browne
CMP Information
Connection J1
Construction Industry Council
Cool Planet Technologies Ltd
Co-operative Bank
Creative Facilities Management
Cybercom
David Wood Architects
Davis Langdon
Dept of Communities & Local Government
DIY Kyoto
Drivers Jonas
Durisol UK
East Thames Group
English Partnerships
ESD
Eversheds
FM Conway Ltd
Faithful+Gould
Forum for the Built Environment
Gardiner & Theobald
Gleeds
Halpern Architects
Hammerson plc
Honda (UK) Ltd
Housing Corporation
Hoval Ltd
Hyder Consulting
Ideal Standard
IES Limited
ISIS Waterside Regeneration
King Sturge LLP
Kingspan Limited
KOREC
Landmark
LDA Design
Lexin
Making Places
Martineau Johnson
MCM Architects
Mediwall Ltd
MK Electric
Modus
Monodraught Limited
Mtech Group Limited
New Start
The New Swindon Company
Newzeye
Nice Car Company
Northcroft Construction Consultants
NPS Property Consultants
Ordnance Survey
Park Royal Partnership
Passivent Ltd
Powergen
REAL from Rydon
Regus
RIB Software (UK)
RIBA M30
Ropemaker Properties Ltd
Sainsbury's
Savills
Schuco International
Shelter
SolaLighting (Solatube) Limited
solarcentury
South West of England Regional Development Agency
Space 4 Ltd
Space Air Conditioning plc
Stent Foundations Limited
Tesco
tp24
Turner & Townsend
UK Resource Centre for Women in SET
Urban Regeneration Toolbox
URS Corporation
Viessmann
What's New In Building
White Young Green
WhizzGo
WRAP
XCO2

Peter Rogers, Sustainability Chair, Technical Director, Stanhope PLC
Tom Bloxham MBE, Innovation Chair, Chairman, Urban Splash
Martin Venning Communications Director London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
Mukand Patel, Head of Assets, DfES
Peter Baguley, Property Director, J Sainsbury PLC
Dr Gareth Potts, Director of Research and Policy, BURA
Simon Storer, External Affairs Director, Construction Products Association
Professor Graham Watts, Chief Executive, Construction Industries Council
David Tuffin, President Elect, RICS
Matthew Bell, Director, Campaigns and Education, CABE
Elaine Mellish, Chief Executive, Mellish
Liz Peace, Chief Executive, British Property Federation
Peter James, Chief Executive, The New Swindon Company Limited
Adrian Barrick, Managing Director, The Builder Group, CMPi
Matt Leach, Director, Policy and Communications, The Housing Corporation
Stewart Wallis, Executive Director, New Economic Forum
Dorothy Fenwick, Head of Communications, English Partnerships
Carloyn Munton, Director, Client and Membership Services,
RIBA
Andrea Carpenter, Managing Director, ULI Europe
Sue Brown, Managing Director, FD Tamesis
Rebecca Cockman, Senior Vice Presidentm FD Tamesis
Mike Watson, Head of Construction, WRAP
Marc von Briel, Chief Executive, SCHUECO
Andrew Taylor, Strategic Advisor, ULI Europe
David Williams, Executive Director Savills
Dominic Grace, Director Savills,
Faraz Baber, Director, Regeneration & Development
British Property Federation
Debbie Aplin, MD - Regeneration Crest Nicholson
Darren Richards, Managing Director M-tech
Peter Baxter, Autodesk
Gary Griffiths, Partner Gardiner & Theobald
Shaun Harley, Communications and Markeing Manager Academy for Sustainable Communities
Stephen Matthews, Chief Executive and Secretary CIBSE
Neil Parlett, CB Richard Ellis
William McDowell, Kingspan
Stephen Sorrell, Partner Eversheds
Richard Steer, Senior Partner Gleeds