CIBSE has become a sponsor of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Healthy Homes and Buildings, strengthening its engagement with Parliamentarians on policy issues affecting the built environment.
The sponsorship gives CIBSE direct access to policymakers working on legislation that affects how homes and buildings are designed, constructed and maintained. Poor quality homes and buildings contribute to worsening health outcomes and increased NHS costs.
The group's mission is to embed health and wellbeing principles in future legislation.
CIBSE's Head of Government Affairs, Sam Baptist, attended a Parliamentary event marking the partnership, where members explored policy challenges for delivering healthier homes and buildings across the UK. The event examined where government action is needed to ensure buildings support rather than harm the health of those who use them.
Healthier buildings can improve physical and mental wellbeing while increasing workplace productivity. These outcomes have direct implications for government spending on health, welfare and the economy.
Sam Baptist, Head of Government Affairs at CIBSE, said: "This sponsorship allows CIBSE to work alongside Parliamentarians and industry partners on an agenda at the heart of what building services engineers do. Our 24,000 expert members bring the technical knowledge needed to deliver safer, healthier and more productive homes and buildings. The benefits extend beyond individual properties, with direct implications for NHS pressures, welfare spending and economic growth."
Through the sponsorship, CIBSE will contribute technical expertise, research and guidance to the APPG's policy work. The institution's members work across heating, ventilation, lighting and building performance, giving the group access to specialist knowledge on how building services affect occupant health. The APPG's message to government is that healthy homes and buildings must become a policy priority. CIBSE's involvement strengthens the evidence base available to Parliamentarians as they scrutinise and shape that agenda.