Builders have been urged to gain more knowledge about sustainable construction in order to boost the green buildings industry.

Experts throughout the building industry have said that sustainability rates highly with most construction firms but staff need to learn more about it before we see a massive impact in the UK.

Dr. Andrew Knight, who is head of construction management at Nottingham Trent University, said that it can often be difficult to keep up with the latest sustainability tactics.

He told Energy Saving Trust: “We keep track of the latest technology but the problem is that it gets out of date quickly. If you learn the environmental principles it sets you up with the right attitudes for the rest of your career.”

The green skills deficit

John Alker of the UK Green Building Council agreed with Dr. Knight stating that the green skills deficit is the major challenge facing the construction industry.

He did believe, however, that once enough knowledge of sustainability had been gained, then green practices such as building cladding and rainwater harvesting could be adopted into all building work.

A source from building.co.uk claims that schemes such as the Green Agenda are likely to hasten the integration of sustainability into all new buildings.

The scheme which will launch at the end of 2012 is set to provide millions of pounds worth of energy efficiency measures into existing homes.