To say David Partridge is fresh in his new job is something of an understatement. He arrives to speak to The Daily Telegraph minutes after the end of a meeting to seal his appointment as chairman of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), his latest role.

For the uninitiated, the UKGBC might sound like just another industry body intent on ticking some corporate social responsibility boxes.

Its role is to encourage wide-ranging sustainable initiatives among developers, architects and investors, as well as influencing policy decisions in the upper echelons of government.

Its board comprises some of the most senior people in the property industry, including from The Crown Estate and Legal & General, and yet it struggles to shake off a reputation of being a bit of a do-gooder.

Partridge is something of an industry veteran with almost 30 years experience in the property sector, which should stand him in good stead as he embarks on his mission to inspire those involved in Britain’s built environment to collectively up their game. The UKGBC is not just about “worthy” green initiatives, he insists, but about improving the socio-economic and cultural status of the country’s towns and cities by building better developments and creating jobs.