Energy used by buildings makes up a significant proportion of the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming (27% from domestic buildings alone in 2001), while construction techniques and materials can damage the environment unless properly managed.

Commitment to the environment shouldn't necessarily cost more money. While environmentally friendly strategies could be more expensive initially (although that isn't always the case), within the lifetime of a building energy savings could more than pay for any extra capital costs, especially since energy costs are unlikely to go down in the long term.

Sustainable building is only part of the picture. If we can reduce our dependancy on car ownership, provide cheap reliable public transport, and design communities where walking, cycling, and car share schemes are encouraged, where we can shop without having to drive miles to a huge supermarket, we could make a big impact on sustainability.