Sustainable Flooring Choices – Specification in a Time of Crisis

The clock is ticking. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change continuing to remind us that we still have (just enough) time to avoid the worst effects of a warming planet, architects (or at least those motivated by such considerations) have little choice but to act.

How should they go about this? How can specifiers ensure the buildings they design are not only sustainable in an operational sense but also in terms of embodied carbon?

To take the example of flooring, what is the best way to ensure the floor you choose ticks all the sustainability boxes. How can you make sure it helps minimise the carbon footprint of your project, and was also sourced and manufactured in a manner that minimises potential damage to ecosystems, waterways, public health, and so on.

Titled ‘Sustainable Flooring Choices – Specification in a Time of Crisis’, this CPD Live session addresses these questions and more. Our speakers examine the best ways to ensure flooring products are not just functional and attractive, but also sustainable.

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

• Quantify the construction sector’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Define the terms ‘embodied carbon’, ‘circular economy’, and ‘product lifecycle’ and explain how they relate to the construction sector, and in particular to flooring products.
• Identify some of the harmful by-products of some flooring manufacturing processes.
• Explain how specifiers can assess the sustainability of various flooring products.

Speakers

Matthew Potent – Health & Aged Care Business Development Manager, Tarkett

Matt has over 30 years flooring experience and is currently Tarkett’s Business development manager for the health & aged care segments. Matt is responsible for ensuring our product offering for this market deliver performance and durability while meeting all health practice guidelines for our market.

Recently Matt was involved in the Campbelltown hospital redevelopment, and works with some of Australia’s largest aged care providers to delivery high performance solutions that last. Our ongoing relationships with our customers is testament to Matt’s approach and dedication to working with them through projects advising from start to finish.

Chris Wynn – Sustainability Training Manager, Tarkett

Chris has over 15 years’ experience in commercial flooring. As a passionate advocate for the planet, Chris devotes his time to promoting Tarkett’s sustainability achievements & future-proofing Tarkett’s client’s buildings with EPD certified circular products.

David Baggs – CEO, Global Greentag

Voted one of Australia’s Top 50 Green Leaders and Top 100 Sustainability Leaders Globally,
David is a world-renowned sustainability and materials expert, Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, as well as CEO and Program Director of the Global GreenTagCertTM Certification Program, the world’s leading ‘Beyond LCA’ based product ecolabel, Certification Mark and Product Health Declaration (GreenTag PhD) and EPD Program Operators for healthy and environmentally conscious products on the planet. David is also a multi-award winning green building architect, author, Exemplar Global Lead Auditor, GBCA Materials Expert Panel member and Past President of the Australian LCA Society.