BSI: Homes for Tomorrow - Building Through Standards

LONDON, January 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Images from the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti last year are still ingrained in our minds while we are witnessing a new devastation caused by heavy rain in Australia. With natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and tsunamis leaving millions of people homeless each year, there is no doubt that urgent action needs to be taken to protect and help people globally. It has become crucial to make housing more sustainable and to check if existing standards are up to the job.

Consumer and public policy experts from around the world feel this urgency and will convene in London this year to consider how to improve global consumer housing and make sustainability a reality. Hosted by BSI, the 33rd ISO COPOLCO (Committee on Consumer Policy) congress, 'Homes for tomorrow - building through standards', will be held on 23-27 May 2011 in London. The event will consider two key themes: rebuilding homes after disasters, including prevention and post-disaster recovery, and "greening" our homes.

"I am pleased that BSI will have the opportunity to recognise 60 years of valuable consumer involvement in UK standardization by welcoming both consumers and standards developers from around the world to debate the important topic of 'Homes for tomorrow - building through standards'," said BSI Director of Standards Mike Low.

The international summit, which is sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, will be broken up into workshops, training and plenary sessions, spread over the five days, and will also include a technical visit, welcome reception and farewell dinner.

Discussions at the various sessions will be wide ranging and are likely to cover topics, from post-disaster reconstruction considerations, to the environmental impacts of home fires and floods; from increased energy efficiency to eco-friendly households. The conference will present a balanced discussion of immediate concerns, while thinking about long-term ways in which to make homes sustainable.

In the past, COPOLCO events have been attended by a wide variety of delegates and speakers from many different fields, including governmental bodies, trade associations, consumer interest groups, private companies, international organisations, and more. The key speaker list has also featured prestigious figures from all over the world, including opening addresses from the President of India at COPOLCO 2009 and the Prime Minister of South Korea at COPOLCO 2008.

This year's event will take place at Grange St. Pauls Hotel, 10 Godliman Street, in London.

About BSI Group

BSI Group is a global independent business services organization that develops standards-based solutions to improve management practices and promote innovation. BSI can help businesses, governments and other organizations around the world to raise quality and performance in a sustainable and socially responsible way. From its origins as the world's first National Standards Body, BSI Group draws upon over 100 years' experience to work with 66,000 organizations in 147 countries from its 50 offices. To learn more, please visit http://www.bsigroup.com