Centre for Sustainable Governance and Law in the Built Environment

The Centre develops and promotes legal, financial, and policy-focused research and debates that take into account the latest social and environmental developments in the urban environment.

Overview

The Centre for Sustainable Governance and Law in the Built Environment develops and promotes, legal, financial, and policy-focused research and debates that take into account the latest social and environmental developments in the urban environment. Our academic and practitioner members and advisors have a wide range of expertise in sustainability. Their focus lies particularly in governance, environmental science, social inclusion, finance and law.

The construction sector industry has a wide impact on the economy, environment and society. For example, buildings and construction account for 35% of global energy use, and 38% of global, energy-related, greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP, 2020). It also has a major social impact on the communities where projects are embedded. As such, the construction industry and its players need to do more to address current concerns regarding their social and environmental impact. It is for this reason that university research on such themes should be shared more widely, with academics actively participating in the latest social and environmental debates.

This centre has been launched in response to these concerns and aims at sharing knowledge and academic insights while connecting and fostering dialogue between academics and practitioners of the built environment. It is also aligned with UCL’s mission, the centre is engaged with the wider world and is committed to changing it for the better.

Events

Centre for Sustainable Governance and Law in the Built Environment launch

Read about the launch here. 

Research

More information about our research projects in this area can be found below.

Research Projects

• Insights into Successful ESG Implementation in Organizations 
• ESG in the real estate finance industry: Current developments and call to action

Partnerships and Impact 

More information about our partnerships and impact can be found below.

Partnerships and Impact

ESG Activist Investments - How to Improve ESG Incentives and Adoption with Cevian Capital
This project is funded by Higher Education Innovation Fund, UCL Knowledge Exchange and Innovation. 

People

Leadership

Director
Dr Armando Castro

Deputy Director
Dr Kell Jones

Members

Dr Francesco Di Maddaloni

Charles Edwards

Mohamed El Daouk

Dr Jing Meng

Dr Niamh Murtagh

Professor Aeli Roberts

Dr Tristano Sainati

Frederico Singarajah

Adrian Williamson KC

Advisory Board

Julian Bailey

Dr Vanessa Davies

Steven Friel

Paul Frost

Elisabetta Li Destri Nicosia

Raphael Mattei

Dr Marius Skuodis

Get in touch

If you are interested in a partnership, collaboration or consultancy please contact the centre director, Dr Armando Castro (a.castro@ucl.ac.uk)

The Centre would like to thank Puma Property Finance for its support and partnership.