With the theme All for one and one for all! The fight to achieve Net Zero together, the ground-breaking industry-wide networking movement will hear from three sustainability leaders during the course of the event on Thursday 29 August.

The established networking breakfast, to be held at One New Park Square, Edinburgh Park, one of the UK’s most sustainable buildings will feature talks by three Scottish leaders in the quest for greater sustainability in the built environment:

• Richard Campbell, IStructE Scotland Chair and Director at civil, structural and conservation engineering consultancy Will Rudd.
• Karen Anderson, President of The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and Founding Partner of architectural practice Anderson Bell + Christie.
• Ingrid Berkeley, Chair of CIBSE Scotland and Principal Sustainability Consultant and Partner at built environment design company Max Fordham LLP.

In addition to the presentations, there will also be a question and answer session, and time for networking over coffee and pastries.

IStructE Scotland chair Richard Campbell believes that bringing the industry together is the key to achieving the country’s Net Zero goals: “We face serious challenges in the creation of a sustainable building and construction sector, which can only be addressed through strong leadership, early collaborative working, and a commitment to innovation.

“The IStructE Climate Emergency Declaration has set a clear agenda that we must be proactive in embedding sustainability into every aspect of our work, and the best way to achieve this is through a collaborative approach, with structural engineers working closely together with architects, contractors, and other stakeholders from the very outset of a project.

“The best time to implement a carbon reduction strategy is at the very beginning of a project. It’s at this stage that we have the greatest opportunity to influence the design, materials, and methods used. Yet, this early involvement often faces resistance due to the perceived costs and the complexity of involving multiple teams from the start.”

Sustainabuild launched in January 2024, and has been running a series of popular Breakfast Club networking and learning events in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow, committed to empower building and construction professionals with the network and knowledge they need to achieve their sustainability ambitions. The team will also launch its first event in London next month.