Images from the earthquake that devastated Haiti just over a year ago have been appearing in various media to mark the anniversary of the catastrophe and we are witnessing the devastation caused by heavy rain in Australia and rain and mudslides in Brazil. The fact that heavy flooding on the African continent has killed 10 people and displaced over 10,000 in Mozambique, while forcing South Africa to declare eight of its nine provinces disaster areas after 41 people died there, has barely made the news.

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 from 23rd - 27th May 2011. The event will consider two key themes: rebuilding homes after disasters - including prevention and post-disaster recovery - and 'greening' our homes.

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 is one event in which our industry ought to be involved. For further information, visit: www.ansi.org

 Yours,