Sustainability Essentials for the Built Environment email course 2025

This email learning course covers all you need to know about sustainability in the built environment, all packed into eight thorough emails delivered directly to your inbox. Don’t let the excuse of busyness stop you getting to grips with the crucial changes needed in our industry to tackle the climate and ecological crises.

What’s the UKGBC Sustainability Essentials email course?

Formed of eight informative and easy-to-read emails introducing key sustainability topics, this course will bring you up to speed with:

√ The current context of the climate and ecological crises, and the role of the built environment

√ What sustainability in the built environment looks like, and why it matters for business, the environment, and society

√ How you can take action to improve the sustainability of the built environment through your day-to-day role

Each email will include some reading, loads of links to resources (from us and elsewhere), a breakdown of key terminology and a small task or exercise to complete.

What can you expect from this course?

Each week you’ll receive an email covering a new topic, all of which are critical for improving the sustainability of organisations in the construction and real estate industry.

Here’s what will be covered each week:

- Email 1: Welcome to this course

- Email 2: The climate and ecological crisis

- Email 3: Sustainability in the built environment

- Email 4: Climate mitigation and adaptation

- Email 5: Nature and biodiversity

- Email 6: Resource use and the circular economy

- Email 7: Health, wellbeing and social value

- Email 8: This is not the end

Who should sign up?

The UKGBC Sustainability Essentials email course is suitable for busy people looking to improve their knowledge of sustainability in the built environment. You may want an on-the-go refresher on some of some key topics or be new to some sustainability concepts such as net zero and biodiversity net gain. Whatever the reason, this email course is a great grounding in core sustainability topics, and it arrives conveniently into your inbox each week!

Why sign up?

- Understand key sustainability topics and their relevance to your job

- Demystify sustainability jargon, and gain confidence using it

- Know where to find resources across sustainability topics

- Learn on the move and at your own pace with easy-to-read emails

UKGBC members can acess the course for free- please visit our webpage for more information.