• In this series, activists, business executives, government officials, lawyers, and academics from around the world share topical and current stories of businesses impacting people in their everyday lives. Developed by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), this series elevates the range of voices – governments, businesses, and civil society – in the discussion on how to make human rights part of everyday business.
2020-01-12
Almost 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, both from the construction process and when they are in use. This has led to a rapid rise in “green building” initiatives and certification schemes. The World Green Building Council has called for “radical cross-sector coordination to revolutionize the buildings and construction sector towards a net zero future.” However, action to reduce the environmental impacts of a project can often overlook its social impacts: whether this involves displacing local communities, overlooking accessibility for disabled users, or the exploitation of workers on the construction site and throughout the materials supply chain.
Annabel Short spoke with Susan Kaplan of BuildingWrx and the US Green Building Council’s Social Equity Working Group, about the ways that built environment professionals – from planners, to developers, to architects – can, and must, prioritize the needs and aspirations of local communities. The US Green Building Council has developed social equity pilot credits and a checklist to help make this happen.
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Filetype: MP3 - Size: 26.14MB - Duration: 19:02 m (192 kbps 32000 Hz)
