ETHICS 2.0

Leading the charge. Engineering a more sustainable world. Be kind. Be green. It’s personal. Building better for people, places and planet. Bring the built environment in line with planetary limits. Sustainable solutions for a better world. Building a sustainable world. Tackle the climate emergency. Lead. Create. Engineering the future responsibly. Deliver. Sustain. Improving quality of life. Designing for a better tomorrow. Deliver a truly transformative future. Beautiful engineering for a sustainable future. Innovating for a better world. All together different. Reimagine the potential. Engineering a better society. All nice words from across our industry. But are any of us doing enough?

Despite global efforts to curb deforestation, an estimated 10million hectares of forests are still lost every year — that’s roughly the size of Iceland.

Since the mass production of plastics began in the 1950s, around 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced. Today, we recycle just 9% of plastic waste globally.

The production, disposal and transportation of food that is never consumed, contributes to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Worldwide, around 7 million premature deaths each year are linked to air pollution.

Despite living in the world’s sixth biggest economy, one in 182 people in England are homeless today. This rises to one in 51 people within Greater London.

One ChatGPT session can consume up to 25 times more energy than a Google search and up to 500ml of water.

Can you describe how bad ChatGPT is for our environment?

Imagine the 4.5 billion years history of Earth squeezed into a calendar year. Modern human life has existed on the planet for 37 minutes, yet we have used up to a third of our natural resources in the last 0.2 seconds.

The US throws enough aluminium into landfills to rebuild its entire commercial air fleet every three months — around 6,000 airplanes.

Despite wildlife populations declining by 70% over the past 50 years, the two remaining Northern White Rhinos — Najin and Fatu — remain in good health with hopes of a ground-breaking IVF pregnancy via surrogate.

Global temperatures are likely to breach the 1.5⁰C threshold for the first time by 2027...

...The next five years will continue to be the hottest ever recorded. Pushing people, wildlife and ecosystems to the brink across the globe.

Why numbers matter.

We need to understand our numbers — the difference between millions and billions. For example, if you counted to one million seconds, it would take 11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds. A million seconds is just over a week and a half. In contrast, counting to one billion seconds would take 31 years, 8 months, 16 days, 9 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds. That’s over three decades of time. If we don’t understand the meaning of the numbers we will never understand the scale and gravity of the challenges we must face.

Five years on...

Back in 2018, efforts to make the built environment better were only making it less bad. Our industry was failing the very things we needed to protect — nature, the climate and the people and communities we serve. That’s why after 25 years in business, we decided enough was enough. We were frustrated by the lack of action by our industry, government and society. But most of all, we wanted to do more ourselves. But how do we cure an industry addicted to dirty energy, steel and concrete? And how do we do this with the speed and scale required? Firstly, we had to look in the mirror. We had to change our culture by creating a clear purpose — Engineering a Better Society. We had to find a way of changing habits in everything we did, to go back to where engineering works best. Back to the interface of art and science — a space where we explore rather than justify. This space is called ETHICS. As a manifesto and industry framework, it brings clients, partners and leaders together to ask bigger and better questions about the issues impacting Society — Energy, Technology, Health, Infrastructure, Culture and Sustainability.

But five years later, Elliott Wood has turned 30 and the world has changed again. Yet despite an uprising of sustainable intent the industry continues to be just less bad. It’s time to look in the mirror again. Time to adapt and refocus. Because we really care. Because we are still frustrated we haven’t moved the dial enough — and it is taking too long. That’s why this year, we launch ETHICS 2.0. Whilst we still need to answer the questions, time is running out. We have to move beyond the hyperbole and simply take action with the things that we can and should be doing now. We can’t Engineer a Better Society alone. We need a community who are committed to join us in our continuing journey from less bad to good.

From all of us at Elliott Wood.

What we’ve done since ETHICS 1.0.

2020

2021

2019

Launched The Society Building TSB

• S tructural Carbon Tool Launch • Full Circle to Reuse Launch • BIM for a more Circular Economy • B Corp Certification process begins • Joined UK Structural Engineers Declare

• 30-year Anniversary • The Building Archives Launch • ETHICS 2.0 Launch 30 ETHICS 2.0 TBA

Sustainability Services Launch

2022

2024

2023

• Certified as a B Corp • Development Infrastructure Services Launch • C ircular Economy and Reuse Guidance for Designers Launch

A framework we call ETHICS

We have created a framework called ETHICS — Energy, Technology, Health, Infrastructure, Culture and Sustainability. Six broad pillars that provide a framework for understanding the challenges and creating solutions. Together, they influence all aspects of the built environment and the decisions we take day-to-day. By understanding these metrics we can hope to influence them — and become better engineers. In doing so, we can change our own habits and the habits of our industry.

*Last time around you may recall ‘E’ stood for Education — this, alongside Economics is essential to driving change across the whole framework in order to solve society’s challenges. But, Energy has fast become the big issue we cannot ignore, and is now our focussed ‘E’ for ETHICS 2.0.

Introducing ETHICS 2.0 6 Pillars. 1 Framework. So many big questions, but we’re out of time. We need to take action on an individual and global level. We simply don’t have the time anymore to wait for the perfect answer — or for habits to change naturally.

Energy

Are we ready for net zero? Energy

It’s likely that the UK will have a decarbonised power system by 2035. Whilst this will be a huge step towards us becoming net zero, it will bring about new challenges. How do we distribute locally- generated energy across the grid, and what will we do with all the surplus energy? With innovation required to store energy at scale, would it be better to use the abundant energy to make new materials — rather than use more energy to try and save it?

Bricks are the most commonly used construction material in the UK. They have supported a traditional highly-skilled, craft-based industry making buildings that define the UK’s towns and cities. Their benefits are extensive — high durability, good thermal insulation, aesthetic and varied appeal, inherent fire resistance, great sound insulation and low maintenance requirements. But today, they’ve become less prevalent and associated with a carbon-intensive manufacturing process and perceived high manufacturing cost. Could the UK’s supply of net zero energy change this and fire up an industry that could benefit society? A new electric-fired brick kiln that can fire bricks at lower temperatures than conventional fossil-fuelled kilns. Not sufficiently hot for traditional bricks, but perfect for the lighter-engineered hollow clay blocks that vitrify at lower temperatures. The result would be a zero carbon-fired brick, that would be a direct replacement for a carbon-intensive concrete block. Put stock in hot bricks. “

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Stop Insulating Britain. Yes. You read that right. Unfortunately, the climate emergency is being exploited by organisations that manipulate government schemes for their own gain — promising to insulate homes with unsuitable and sometimes hazardous materials. “ It’s an unregulated sector that allows contractors to pump nasties such as insulating foam into your home. Aside from being ghastly, it also damages roof timbers dooming some homes as unmortgageable. So without care, ‘Insulating Britain’ could destroy the fabric of thousands of homes — something even more critical when dealing with listed buildings. And it’s not just the fabric that gets poorly, converted buildings often fail to address ventilation — leading to increased risks of respiratory disease. While legislation is a lot more stringent when dealing with listed buildings, Historic England’s recently published guidance on adapting historic buildings for energy and carbon efficiency advocates a holistic view to sensitive repair, maintenance and adaptation. So while insulation might play a part in that — it’s not a fix-all — and maybe we should apply Historic England’s guidance to all buildings?

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Use a thermal-imaging camera to assess your own home and better understand its thermal performance. What can we do? Action Individual

Business

Promote energy-saving initiatives within the workplace.

Industry

Commit to specifying locally-manufactured bricks and avoid those produced from countries with questionable human rights and modern slavery issues.

Society

Increased research, development and funding into means of storing energy and a modernised grid to move it around.

Technology

The new age of digital technologies has arrived, but is the construction industry ready for it? Whether it’s AI or BIM, the age-old argument remains — are we teaching our talent the basic foundations of our profession well enough before allowing technology to take hold? Or are we all guilty of allowing technology to paper over the cracks? Are we becoming artificially intelligent? Technology

Dirty Data.

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We are all too familiar with the constant tracking and analysis of our online journeys. One mention of slippers and suddenly we’re being pushed an advert — before you know it they’re on our feet. Technology has allowed all aspects of society to collect billions of snippets of data all of which are measured, recorded and commercialised. It’s the same in the construction industry — we are encouraged to measure everything just because we can — but data alone is dumb. We need to measure what matters — and collect good data — that will allow us to make better decisions with confidence. As Nate Silver, a statistical analyst states, “We’re not that much smarter than we used to be, even though we have much more information — that means the real skill is learning how to pick out the useful information from all the noise!”

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the construction industry by enhancing efficiency, safety, and decision- making. One significant application of AI is in project management, where machine learning algorithms analyze data to optimize schedules, resource allocation, and cost estimates. AI-powered tools also improve design processes through generative design, allowing architects to explore innovative solutions and optimize building performance. On-site, AI-driven robots and drones are increasingly used for tasks like surveying, site inspections, and even bricklaying, which reduces human error and enhances precision. These technologies collect real-time data, providing valuable insights for monitoring project progress and ensuring safety compliance. AI systems can also predict potential issues, such as structural failures or equipment maintenance needs, allowing for proactive measures. Moreover, AI contributes to sustainable construction by optimizing energy use and minimizing waste through better planning and material selection. As AI technologies continue to evolve, they are poised to address labor shortages and increase overall productivity, transforming the construction industry into a more efficient, safer, and smarter sector*. Intelligently artificial. “

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*‘How AI is enabling the construction industry’ via ChatGPT

What can we do? Action

Individual

Consider how you use AI tools and technologies ethically.

Business

Develop a structured data collection strategy so that we can reduce data collection and do something useful with it.

Industry

Invest properly in R&D. Decades of under-investment has left us behind other industries in terms of digitalisation.

Society

Demand transparency from technology companies around their emissions, water consumption and material extraction.

Health

Are we sitting comfortably? Health We know our environment impacts our physical and mental health. Clean air, safe materials and appropriate lighting. A sense of connection to nature, even better. But where does our duty stop and start — will we ever be able to measure the health and comfort of our buildings like carbon? Do we need to? Whether we can or not, we must not let this get in the way of our efforts to design places to positively impact on the health of everyone — both those who use them and those who create them.

We spend 90% of our time indoors — so is there any surprise that the environments we create have such a direct impact on our physical and emotional health? Even in modern housing, the wrong material choices often contribute to a building’s poor air quality (including hazardous emissions). Equally, bad thermal or damp conditions can cause detrimental effects to our health. But it’s not just respiratory problems and allergies that arise from material choices, the psychological impact of comfort arising from sensory and spatial stimuli can’t be ignored. So how do we create environments where people can thrive through our choice of materials, where these materials come from and how they are applied? “ Material Matters.

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Suicide rates in the construction industry are alarmingly high, with workers facing a risk several times greater than the general population. This elevated risk is attributed to a combination of factors — including high-stress work environments, job insecurity, physical demands, and long hours, which contribute to mental health issues. Act post-Grenfell is required to address this crisis. Our industry bodies and professional institutions are well versed in this kind of problem-solving and have the resources to provide education, support, and legislation. So when will we see them take these statistics seriously and recognise that this is not just a societal problem, but one that we are a key player in? “ ” A collective failing. And unfortunately, being a predominantly male workforce, that’s less likely to seek help, exacerbates the problem. We must take mental health as seriously as physical health and safety on-site. A culture shift similar to the overhaul of H&S regulations or the introduction of the Building Safety

Check in with the people around you at work and home — reach out to someone if you’re struggling. What can we do? Action Individual

Business

Create comfortable workspaces using natural materials and biophilia to positively influence the environment.

Industry

Ensure full understanding of provenance and societal impact within your supply chain.

Society

Normalise challenging conversations — if you are struggling or if something doesn’t look, feel or sound right — ‘Speak Out’.

Infrastructure

Years of austerity and lack of regulation have led to a huge decline in infrastructure maintenance and development across the UK. Whether it be the shocking standard of our waterways or cancellation of projects such as HS2 in the North — the decline of infrastructure hinders economic growth, productivity and quality of life. So whilst the shareholders gladly lap up the cream — who is ultimately responsible for taking the lead? Can society undo the mess of broken Britain?

Unsocial Housing.

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The social housing crisis in the UK is a growing issue, marked by a shortage of affordable homes and growing demand that far outstrips supply. This crisis is driven by several factors, including a lack of new social housing construction, the erosion of existing housing stock, and rising property prices. Government policies, including austerity measures and restrictions on public spending, have led to cuts in funding for social housing projects. Resulting in fewer new builds and maintenance backlogs for existing properties. Additionally, the Right to Buy scheme, introduced in the 1980s, allowed tenants in social housing to purchase their homes at discounted rates. While this policy aimed to increase home ownership, it also significantly reduced the number of available social housing units. The properties sold were not always replaced, exacerbating the shortage. Addressing the social housing crisis requires a comprehensive strategy. Increased investment in the construction of new social housing units is essential to meet growing demand. Policies should also focus on protecting existing social housing stock and ensuring it remains affordable. Collaboration between government, local authorities, and private developers can help create sustainable solutions and support our vulnerable populations.

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“ Sold down the river. The collapse of our infrastructure is best seen in our water industry. Here billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is wired to offshore investors whilst we are sent sewage into our rivers and oceans. The pollution of the UK’s waterways is a pressing environmental issue, affecting rivers, lakes, and coastal waters across the country. Contaminants from agricultural run-off, industrial discharge, and untreated sewage have led to significant ecological damage. Addressing this problem requires a multifaceted approach. First, improving sewage treatment infrastructure is crucial. Upgrading sewage treatment plants to handle more capacity and advanced filtration can reduce the volume of pollutants entering waterways. Implementing better land management practices, such as creating buffer zones with vegetation along waterways, can capture and filter run-off before it enters water bodies. Farmers can also adopt precision farming techniques to apply fertilisers and pesticides more efficiently, minimising their impact. But stricter regulations and enforcement on industrial discharges are also needed. Regular monitoring and penalties for violations can deter companies from releasing harmful substances into water systems. Additionally, promoting the use of green technologies and sustainable practices in industries can reduce pollution at the source.

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Use your vote. Pressure politicians to deliver better public infrastructure. What can we do? Action Individual

Business

Fund river clean-ups, partner with river health charities such as Thames 21.

Industry

Harness greater agency for a more resilient system through all professional bodies.

Society

More collaboration between government, local authorities, and private developers to create sustainable social housing solutions.

Culture

Old fashioned, adversarial, scared, superfluous, stuck, unenlightened, turgid, consumptive, grey, selfish, wasteful, unskilled, bureaucratic, dysfunctional and expensive. A gloomy, pessimistic set of words, yet these come from prominent industry figures who care passionately about its future. What is driving this overwhelming sense of misery? Is it the aftermath of Brexit, politics or the pandemic? We need to foster a culture that embraces these challenges, introducing excitement, difference and hope. We need a more open and honest culture. Culture

Culture is the cornerstone of everything good, enriching all aspects of our lives. It should be shaped by creativity, collaboration, diversity, and trust — values that build the foundation of a positive, productive environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered. To truly transform society, our industry must lead by example, take responsibility for our actions and commit to greater honesty. If the same people continue to ask the same questions, using the same processes, we’ll inevitably get the same answers, and nothing will change. So, how do we break this cycle? The answer lies in embracing more exploration, innovation, and diversity of thought to act as the catalysts for change. These ideas must be daring, brave and be implemented at the highest levels across all disciplines. Rory Sutherland suggests that challenging conventional thinking by embracing ‘silliness’ over excessive seriousness can lead to better outcomes. Despite the gravity of our challenges, the system change we crave might best start with some silliness where anything is possible. The (new) culture club. “

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Where art thou?

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The decline of arts investment in the UK has become a growing concern, impacting cultural institutions, artists, and communities across the country. But nowhere has this been felt more than in our education system — all this despite the creative industries contributing an estimated £126 billion to our economy. Sadly, the arts have been weaponised by political parties in the ongoing culture war. Much of the magic within the construction industry happens at this tipping point of science and art, so having a ‘less creative’ generation will negatively impact innovation. To remedy these issues will take time and money. Local authorities need to be assessed to balance the funding disparity, but may be able to lean on the arts ability to support health and wellbeing through the NHS. The curriculum itself also needs a reset. The prioritisation of STEM subjects has seen arts disappear despite their obvious benefits beyond the subject — confidence, self-expression, problem-solving all make for a better balanced society.

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What can we do? Action

Individual

Be brave and ask the difficult question.

Business

Foster curiosity and diversity of thought to do things differently.

Industry

Introduce a tax credit for social impact.

Society

Demand the return of Government funding in Arts education.

Sustainability

Can we regenerate sustainability?

It’s a word omnipresent in the built environment for the past decade. Accreditations, services and consultancies are all fed from its green leaves. But something is wrong in a world that needs so much help to change our environment — it really shouldn’t be deemed a special off-the-shelf service. So is now the time to regenerate the idea of sustainability into something more relevant?

We have for too long focused on sustainability and failed. Now we need to aim beyond and strive for a regenerative future. While sustainability focuses on minimising environmental harm, regenerative design can go further by actively restoring and enhancing ecosystems. Sustainability, with its emphasis on energy efficiency, conservation and reduction has led to important advancements. However, regenerative design aims to create buildings and systems that contribute positively to the environment, moving beyond ‘less bad’ to ‘more good.’ With a shift in mindset we can create buildings and systems that restore natural ecosystems — integrating nature into the built environment and enhance biodiversity. We should aim for living buildings and cities, which generate their own energy, treat water, and regenerative landscapes that can restore habitats. As fear of the climate emergency grows, regenerative design should become the new frontier, transforming our cities and communities into active contributors to planetary health. Time to put sustainability in the bin. “

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The ‘D’ word.

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Demolition is THE dirty word, but when executed thoughtfully and strategically, taking down a building can be part of the agenda for urban development and revitalisation. It’s a heavily politicised subject — take M&S on Oxford Street as an example. But it’s simply not practical or logical to reuse all buildings, and no one wants a future where our built environment is frozen in time. The truth is we need to do beautiful demolition — make it less wrecking ball and more ordered, cleaner, greener — with more opportunities for material reuse until such a time that buildings are easily demountable and designed for disassembly. “We have to think of buildings as material depots,” says Thomas Rau, a Dutch architect who has been working on a database of materials in existing buildings and their potential for reuse. With now over 2.5 million square metres of building matter logged in his Madaster database, he is currently working with the city of Amsterdam to catalogue the components of every public building in the city. “Waste is simply material without an identity, he says. If we track the provenance and performance of every element of a building, we can eliminate waste.”

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Action

What can we do? Reduce consumption and minimise waste. Individual

Business

Regularly report on your company’s sustainability efforts, setting measurable goals and sharing progress.

Industry

Prioritise design for disassembly, reducing waste and resource consumption.

Society

Focus on realistic, measurable goals to ensure that our natural resources and ecosystems are preserved for future generations.

So what’s next? We think it all starts with a starfish...

Once upon a time, there was a wise old man who lived by the sea. Every morning, he would wake up early, take a long walk along the beach, and watch the sunrise. The ocean air was fresh, and the rhythmic sound of the waves brought him peace. It was his daily ritual, a time to reflect on life and find serenity in the beauty of nature. One morning, as he was walking along the shore, he noticed that the beach was covered with thousands of starfish that had been washed ashore by the strong overnight tide. The water had reced - ed, leaving the starfish stranded on the sand, far from the ocean’s edge. The man knew that without the life-giving water of the sea, these starfish would soon dry out and die in the morning sun. As he walked, he saw a young boy in the distance, moving quickly along the beach. The boy was bending down, picking up starfish one by one, and gently tossing them back into the ocean.

The difference we can make.

The man watched the boy for a while, curious about what he was doing. The boy was focused and determined, but the old man could see that there were simply too many starfish on the beach. When the man finally reached the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The task seemed impossible. The boy paused for a moment, looking up at the man, “I'm saving these starfish,” he replied, “If they don’t get back into the water, they’ll die.” The old man, who had seen many things in his long life, couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s optimism. “But there are thousands of starfish on this beach,” he said, “You can’t possibly save them all, there are too many — what difference can you make?” Without saying anything, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and tossed it gently into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said... “I made a difference to that one.”

Based on ‘The Star Thrower’ by Loren Eiseley (1907–1977) published in 1969.

Contact.

If you’d like to take action, work or collaborate with us to Engineer a Better Society please get in touch. Central London 55 Whitfield Street Fitzrovia London W1T 4AH +44 (0)20 7499 5888 Wimbledon 241 The Broadway London SW19 1SD +44 (0)20 8544 0033 Nottingham St Mary’s Hall 17 Barker Gate Nottingham NG1 1JU +44 (0)20 7499 5888

If you’re looking for a space to work with progressive, like-minded organisations. thesocietybuilding.co.uk

If you’re interested in contributing to our resource of historic architectural drawings. thebuildingarchives.co.uk

ETHICS 2.0 A manifesto by Elliott Wood elliottwood.co.uk thebuildingarchives.co.uk thesocietybuilding.co.uk

The information within this piece has come from a range of respected sources. Unfortunately, since our last manifesto five years ago, the numbers have become even more depressing and dangerous.

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