Educating the global citizen in sustainable development : the influence of accreditation bodies on professional programmes

It is estimated that over 50% of UK CO2 emissions arise from the buildings and industry sector. Globally, construction is estimated to be the world's largest employer with 111 million employees. The Built Environment sector is therefore a major economic player with significant environmental, social and economic influence across the globe. Pressure on Built Environment degree curriculum partly comes from the professional bodies, with whom a large proportion of the School of the Built and Natural Environment's programmes are accredited. Accreditation is in many cases a requirement in order for graduates to practise their profession while in others it is not a requirement but an expectation. As a result, accreditation is vital to the marketability of School degree programmes.