• Swindon & Wiltshire Property
• Thursday May 2 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Law firm Thrings backs South West region’s drive for sustainable construction

Swindon-headquartered law firm Thrings is playing its part in promoting environmentally-focused change in the South West’s booming construction sector, contributing to a guide for how the industry can achieve a more resilient future.

The guide – Net Zero in the South West – Drive the Change – is the latest in a series produced by Constructing Excellence South West (CESW) to highlight industry best practice, demonstrating the vast opportunities and challenges that exist for the construction industry on the path to Net Zero in the South West.

Part of the Constructing Excellence Regional Partnership (CERP), CESW is a member-led organisation charged with driving the change agenda in construction across the South West. Its work leads efforts across the region to continually better the construction sector through innovation and collaboration, with its membership spanning the entire supply chain.

As chair of the CESW’s Climate Crisis focus group, looking to address the impact of construction on the climate crisis, Thrings partner Natalia Sokolov has helped to oversee the creation of the guide, working with fellow CESW members to draw together expertise from across the industry.

Natalia and fellow Thrings partner Eve Laws have also produced an article for the guide focused on the key legal considerations developers and landowners should address for their construction or real estate project to be a success.

This includes in areas such as early stakeholder engagement, ‘green’ leases and contracts, planning and option engagements and successfully dealing with negotiations and disputes.

“Driving sustainable and focussed change in the sector should be something everyone in the industry is moving towards in order to redefine the future of mainstream construction,” said Natalia.

“However, studies show that the transition has been slow amid multiple challenges, including high costs, skills gaps and economic and geo-political and governmental issues.

“The South West is swiftly becoming the UK’s natural powerhouse and one of the key providers of sustainable energy in the UK and this guide is evidence change is possible at every stage of the supply chain, demonstrating some of the projects in the South West seeking to promote and spearhead the required change.

“I would very much like to thank everyone from the CESW team and our contributing members from across the South West region who have worked so brilliantly together to create this thought-provoking and impactful document.”

Kingsley Clarke, CESW chairman and head of the Southern Construction Framework (SW), added: “Climate change is an issue that affects construction just as much, if not more, than other sectors and we have collective responsibility as built environment professionals to ensure that sustainability is established as a pillar of practice in all areas.

“Often and rewardingly the buildings we help create leave lasting legacies and it is incumbent on us to ensure that the climate legacy we leave is a positive one.

“As such, it is fantastic to have seen colleagues from across Constructing Excellence’s membership coming together on this project and I want to congratulate Natalia and her team for producing this industry-leading work.”