Building back better, faster and greener

In this episode Prof. Greg Clark meets Amanda Clack, Executive Director at CBRE, one of the largest commercial real estate services companies in the world. The pandemic and its economic fallout have had a huge impact on the built environment sector. Yet if the UK is going to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, it needs to urgently address the energy efficiency of its built environment; twenty seven percent of the UK’s greenhouse emissions come from buildings; most of which are our homes, but at least a third are commercial and public buildings. So as we enter the recovery phase, how do we build back better, faster and greener? Where are the new growth opportunities for investment in new technologies, and what does this mean for the connected places of tomorrow? Amanda Clack is an Executive Director at CBRE. She is the Chair of CBRE’s Strategy Board, Head of Strategic Advisory and Head of Public Sector. Amanda has over 30 years’ experience in the built-environment sector, and for 20 of those years she was partner at PWC and EY. She is the past Global President of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) where she was the longest serving President in 123 years. Amanda is also passionate about diversity and inclusion in the built environment sector, and it’s a subject that she has both championed and written about extensively. Music on this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and Phill Ward Music (www.phillward.com) Show notes Conversation topics/themes: The impact on the real estate sector here in the UK, and globally, as modalities of work and travel have changed during the pandemic. Reimagining and re-building a physical environment that’s both safe for people, and commercially viable for businesses. What the disruption of the pandemic, and the opportunities in the built environment sector mean for how we think about place, and the vision of a connected place. Accelerating innovation in the built environment on the road to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Changing opportunities and business models in digitisation, new technologies, and the circular and sharing economies. New investment opportunities in the economic recovery phase, and what they could mean for the future of towns and cities, and the UK’s levelling up agenda. The role that business leaders and built environment professionals can and should be playing in ensuring diversity and inclusion across the sector. For more information on Amanda Clack’s work to promote and foster diversity and inclusion in the real estate sector, check out her book ‘Managing Diversity & Inclusion in Real Estate’. To read and download our Net Zero Places Innovation Brief, which explores a number of new market opportunities in the real estate and construction sectors, click here. To register for our TRIG showcase webinar on solving transport challenges through research innovation grants, click here. To register for our breakfast briefing on ‘Enabling thriving urban communities through sound sensing AI technology’, click here. To find out more about what we do at the Connected Places Catapult and to hear about the latest news, events and announcements, please sign up to our newsletter!