onlincourse

Sustainable Construction and Development

Help build a better future with sustainable construction and development and learn best practices from sustainability initiatives with this online course from CIOB.

Duration

5 weeks

Weekly study

2 hours

100% online

How it works

Unlimited subscription

Learn more

Accreditation

More info

Explore sustainability in the built environment

In the face of the climate crisis, we must ensure that our activities today, and the society we are a part of, do not compromise future generations’ ability to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is one way we can recognise our responsibility for the future and act with better intent.

On this five-week course, you’ll learn about the obligations and actions that impact sustainable development in the built environment.

Exploring the need for environmental, economic, and social sustainability, you’ll discover the implications this has on the construction industry and learn the best practices from successful sustainability initiatives.

Unpack environmental sustainability and the green building solution

You’ll delve into environmental sustainability, understanding what it is and how it relates to the construction industry.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to explore the environmental implications of built assets as well as potential solutions such as green building.

Discover the barriers and tools to achieve economic sustainability

Next, you’ll explore economic sustainability and how it can help support long-term growth without negatively impacting future generations.

You’ll unpack the barriers to economic sustainability before learning how to navigate these challenges with tools and techniques such as sustainable project management.

Finally, you’ll unpack social responsibility and its role within the built environment. You’ll explore issues such as equality, diversity, and exploitation to understand how to minimise an organisation’s impact on people.

By the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to implement sustainability in the construction industry to help build a better future.

Week 1
Putting Sustainability into the context of the Built Environment
- Getting Started
  To begin, please work through the following material. It will tell you what to expect from the course in terms of content, introduce you to the course contributors and guide you towards getting the most from your studies.
- Global Issues and Challenges
  A look at some of the key sustainability issues facing the globe and those who inhabit it.
- The Foundations of Sustainable Development
  We will now move into defining sustainable development and its components so that we have basis for the following weeks' activities and discussions.
Week 2
Environmental Sustainability
- What is Environmental Sustainability?
  Defining environmental sustainability and its links to construction and building use.
- So What Can Be Done?
  An activity that begins our journey into sustainable solutions. In this activity, we are looking at those specifically for the benefit of the environment. This includes looking at the 4Rs and the green building solution.
- The Future
  A couple of videos, a quiz and short discussion to show how environmental sustainability can be achieved,
Week 3
Economic Sustainability
- What is Economic Sustainability?
  Defining what is meant by economic sustainability and some barriers to achieving it
- The Tools of Economic Sustainability
  A look at some of the processes and methods that can be applied to achieve economic sustainability on projects.
- Economic Sustainability in Action
  A look at projects that have implemented economic sustainability and its related methods and processes to achieve great things. You will hear about great projects such as the changes made in Singapore, and Crossrail in London
Week 4
Social Sustainability
- What is Social Sustainability?
  An introduction to the week, and what is meant by social sustainability
- Key Issues in Social Sustainability
  There are some major social issues that need addressing in construction and other industries. These will be looked at here, and include modern slavery, exploitation, equality and diversity.
- Moving Towards Sustainability
  This activity will detail what is meant by a holistic approach to social sustainability, will explore a successful case study in the area, and hear from an expert who always considers social sustainability in his projects.
Week 5
Building on the Three Pillars
- Combining the Pillars
  Consolidating the previous weeks information and a look at the importance of embracing sustainability.
- Let's Hear from the Experts
  2 short videos from sustainability experts who talk about the future of sustainability, and create the basis for a discussion around the future of sustainability in construction.
- Reflection and Where you Go from Here
  Bringing the thoughts and ideas of the course together, with a final thought from the course tutor.