Eighty four per cent of construction professionals think that the construction industry does not understand the Government’s Part L legislation, according to the Overbury Office Sustainability Survey 2007.

Sustainable procurement (30%) is the most important environmental issue for property and construction professionals, with climate change and carbon emission (29%) second, and recycling and waste management (21%) third.

Only 6% say that gaining Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) accreditation is an important environmental issue.

Two out of three construction clients and consultants think it is ‘very important’ to use an environmentally responsible contractor on a fit out or refurbishment project. A further 34% agreed it was ‘quite important’. Only 2% of those questioned said it was either unimportant or would make no difference.

Eighty seven per cent of respondents expressed their keenness to have environmental initiatives suggested by an appointed principal contractor with almost 100% likely to implement some of these ideas into the refurbishment programme.

Seventy seven per cent of respondents now consider environmental issues when putting together a brief for a refurbishment contract|; 52% employ a corporate social responsibility or environment manager and one in five of them actually sit on the selection panel to appoint the principal contractor.

The statistics are part of a study carried out in conjunction with Overbury’s recent half day SCORe (Sustainable Commercial Office Refurbishment) where 120 construction professionals attended.

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