Sustainability Flashcards
• Why is sustainability important?
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Seeks to balance the economic, environmental and social objectives at global, national and local levels.
• What are the 3 pillars in the Brundtland report?
Environmental, Social & Economic – direct nations towards a goal of sustainable development.
• What is BREEAM?
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method – This is a building specific voluntary assement tool with 9 weightings: energy, water, waste etc. with ratings from pass to outstanding
• What is GRESB?
Gresb: Global real estate sustainability benchmark – issues standard for RE ESG and helps RE investors identify ESG of portfolios – includes waste energy water as well as employee treatment etc. (1-100)
• What is an EPC?
Energy performance certificate, it is mandatory on all marketing materials. Valid for 10 years unless changes to buildings. Agent responsible and must have address, floor area, EPC cert, running costs – A-G and benchmarking info.
Penalty for not having an EPC?
£200 for resi – 12.5% of ratable value on commercial (min £500 - £5000)
• What is MEES?
Minimum efficiency standards
• What are the impacts of MEES?
Introduced so that in 2018 all new building require an EPC of E or higher. All resi will require an E from 2020 and all commercial from 2023. 2027 all buildings will require a C and 2030 will be B. This means that 69% of buildings currently would not meet requirements.
• What is net zero?
Refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere
Net zero by 2050 – number of comps have signed up.
Better building partnership has toolkits for improving sustainability.
Exemptions from MEES?
Place of Worship
Listed Building
Tenancy < 6 months
Not feasible - payback after 7 years (3 quotes made)
Devaluation - > 5%
Lasts for 5 years and can’t be transferred
What are some more efficient construction solutions?
Renewable materials and tech - solar, wind, heat pumps to achieve low carbon emission achieving reasonable payback period
Use of natural light, solar gain
Effective energy management & monitoring systems
Increase awareness of waste, water and goods procurement
What is rateable value?
Rateable value is the value assigned to non-domestic premises by the Valuation Office Agency. It’s based on a property’s annual market rent, size and usage. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) reviews these values every five years and often values properties at different levels.
What is the Brundtland Report?
3 Pillars - economic growth, environmental protection, and social equality
The aim of the Brundtland Commission was to help direct the nations of the world towards the goal of sustainable development.
What is the RICS’ commitment to sustainability?
Making informed decisions to mitigate negative environmental impact. With the built environment estimated to be responsible for around 40% of global carbon emissions, RICS is championing sustainable practices across the built and natural environment. We are also empowering professionals to embed sustainability considerations into the way they work and better measure environmental impacts.
How can you achieve energy efficiency and carbon reduction?
Design - insulation and heat retention Construction - low carbon methods Refurb - using what's already in place Renewables Waste management
