Mandatory Competency - Flash Cards - Sustanibility

Question 1

What does COP stand for?

Answer 1

Conference of the parties - attended by those that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - Treaty agreed in 1994.

Question 2

What is COP 28?

Answer 2

Conference of parties, annual UN climate meeting, governments discuss how to limit and prepare for future climate change. Agreed to transition away from fossil fuels.

Question 3

What is the Paris agreement?

Answer 3

At the COP 21 meeting in 2015, parties agreed to prevent temp rising 1.5 over pre industrial levels.

Question 4

Please explain your understanding of the term sustainability?

Answer 4

To meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Question 5

What are the key principles of sustainability?

Answer 5

Social - healthy communities. Economical - Strong, competitive. Environmental - Protecting natural environment.

Question 6

What are the core principles of Planning and Decision making around sustainability?

Answer 6

NPPF - Creative, proactivity, high quality, consider surroundings, support climate resilience and low carbon, conserve natural environment, use brownfield.

Question 7

What are the most common environmental issues experienced on construction sites?

Answer 7

Water pollution, air and noise pollution, energy consumption, carbon emissions, land contamination, damage to habitats, waste, gases.

Question 8

What are the key pieces of legislation that affect sustainability in construction?

Answer 8

Agricultural Land Act, Building Act (Part L), Clean Air Act, Climate Change Act.

Question 9

What is the climate change act?

Answer 9

This is a legally binding framework to tackle climate change. It imposed targets to cut greenhouse emissions compared with 1990 levels 34% by 2020 and 100% by 2050

Question 10

What is the clean air act?

Answer 10

This legislation provides local authorities within England to introduce measures in order to control air pollution.

Question 11

What is the agricultural land act?

Answer 11

Enables land to be acquired for a particular purpose for example to control pests and weeds, for use as woodlands or to support agricultural activities

Question 12

What are the Key Building Regulations that relate to sustainability in construction?

Answer 12

Building Regulations Part L — Conservation of Fuel and Power. Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.

Question 13

What does the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations require?

Answer 13

EPCs to be produced, quantities energy efficiently, required when buildings are built, sold or rented, commercial buildings over 500sqm need to display a display energy certificate.

Question 14

What are the different forms of taxation relating to sustainability?

Answer 14

Landfill tax.

Question 15

What different code of practice are you aware of for measuring sustainability?

Answer 15

BREEAM, SKA Ratings, LEED (Life Cycle Assessment)

Question 16

What is BREEAM?

Answer 16

Sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through specification, design, construction and operation.

Question 17

What is SKA Ratings?

Answer 17

RICS Environmental assessment method for non-domestic fit outs such as office refurbishments.

Question 18

What is LEED?

Answer 18

It is a USA equivalent of BREEAM

Question 19

What procedures does your firm implement to promote sustainability?

Answer 19

Recycling of cardboard, paper and plastics. Cycle to work schemes.

Question 20

What is the Paris Agreement?

Answer 20

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty concerning climate change adopted in 2016. The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius whilst targeting levels below 1.5 degrees Celsius when compared to pre-industrial levels.

Question 21

Name some sustainable building methods?

Answer 21

Use of recycled materials such as reclaimed timber, recycled tiles and plastics. GSHP, ASHP, SOLAR.

Question 22

What is your understanding of the term ‘Green Roofs’?

Answer 22

A green roof is a roof covering that is partially or completely covered with vegetation that is placed over a waterproof membrane

Question 23

What are Photovoltaics and how do they work?

Answer 23

When photos hit solar modules within the solar panel they cause electrons to flow through the bottom layer, movement generates electricity.

Question 24

What is a soakaway and how do they work?

Answer 24

Soakaways offer a means of surface water drainage attenuation.

Question 25

Can you explain your understanding of the term carbon neutral?

Answer 25

Carbon neutrality is to have a balance between the carbon emitted and the carbon absorbed from the atmosphere in carbon sinks.

Question 26

What is meant by the term solar gain?

Answer 26

The name given to the increase in temperature in a space, object or structure due to solar radiation (the heat from the sun).

Question 27

How can solar gain be managed in buildings?

Answer 27

Limiting the size and area of openings such as doors and windows, shading, reflective materials.

Question 28

How does a ground source heat pump work?

Answer 28

Heat from the ground is absorbed at low temperatures into a fluid inside a loop of pipe (a ground loop) buried underground, fluid then passes through a compressor that raises it to a higher temperature.

Question 29

Please explain your understanding of the term SUDS?

Answer 29

SUDS will slow down surface water run off by allowing it to infiltrate and soak into natural contours and landscapes.

Question 30

What are the benefits of a BREEAM certified building?

Answer 30

Lowering the running costs of their built assets and minimising the impact on the environment.

Question 31

What is an EPC?

Answer 31

introduced in 2007 and are a legal requirement for a building to be sold, let or constructed. Efficiency of the built asset along with the potential efficiency following improvements are identified.

Question 32

What sustainable initiatives are you aware of that are being implemented by the RICS?

Answer 32

The RICS SKA ratings encourages green codes of practice for commercial properties.
‘Value the Planet’ campaign and committed to forming a climate change expert panel to implement the UN’s sustainable development goals.

Question 33

What things do you implement to promote sustainability?

Answer 33

Printing only when necessary. Car sharing.

Question 34

What are England’s sustainability targets?

Answer 34

To reach net zero by 2050, total greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to the emissions removed by the atmosphere with the aim of limiting global warming and climate change.

Question 35

What sustainable building techniques can be implemented within my role?

Answer 35

Fabric first approach, implementation of insulating materials through refurbishment and material upgrade. Implementing sustainable technologies such as ASHP / PV’s.

Question 36

What CPD have you attended on sustainability?

Answer 36

Retrofit 101 with the retrofit academy, requirements for domestic properties. Sustainable roofing by Bauder, techniques and types of green and blue roofs.

Question 37

What is the Energy Act 2011?

Answer 37

The energy act 2011 focuses on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Key aspects include green deal to assist property owners in financing improvements, energy company obligation which required energy companies to reduce carbon emissions, introduced regulations to improve energy efficiency of the private rented sector.