Sustainability Flashcards
What is COP26 and what does COP stand for?
COP is the Conference of the Parties and is attended by countries that signed the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty agreed in 1994.
The 2021 meeting was the 26th meeting which is why it’s called COP26.
What happened at COP26?
At COP26 a newly established Glasgow Financial Alliance was announced for Net Zero carbon
emissions of $130 trillion of private capital to accelerate the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.
The private sector is now under more intense scrutiny from both clients and institutional investors on
ensuring net-zero commitments are robust and legitimate.
There are new requirements for all listed companies in the UK to produce net-zero transition plans by
2023.
Please explain your understanding of the term sustainability?
To meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.
Key principles were also set out within the Brundtland Commission Report, Our Common Future
1987 which identified the need for sustainable development based around environmental protection,
economic growth and social equity. It called for conservation of the environment and resources by
gradually changing the ways in which we develop and use technologies.
What are the key principles of sustainability?
Social - Building healthy communities with sufficient numbers and range of buildings.
Economical - Build strong, responsive, competitive economies ensuring sufficient land and right types.
Environmental: - Contributing towards the protection and enhancement of our natural, built and
historic environment.
What are the core principles of Planning and Decision making around sustainability?
Creative processes should be used not just scrutiny.
Proactive steps should be taken to achieve sustainable development.
Secure the development of high quality built assets.
Account for the character of the surrounding area.
Support a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy.
Conserve & enhance natural environment and reduce pollution.
Encourage use of brownfield sites.
Conserve heritage.
Maximise use of public transport, cycling and walking.
Support health, social and cultural well-being.
What are the different forms of taxation relating to sustainability?
Landfill Tax which is an environmental tax payable in addition to landfill rates charged by private
disposal companies.
The tax was introduced as a means to encourage alternative methods of disposal such as recycling.
The tax is charged by weight at varying rates depending on whether the waste is inert or active.
What different code of practice are you aware of for measuring sustainability?
BREEAM (Life Cycle Assessment).
o Sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through
specification, design, construction and operation.
o BREEAM Stands for the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method.
o The assessment is undertaken by a licensed assessor based on energy, land & ecology, water,
health & wellbeing, pollution, materials and waste and management.
o BREEAM applies to new and refurbishment projects, domestic and non-domestic.
o Rating are:
§ Outstanding.
§ Excellent.
§ Very Good.
§ Good.
§ Pass.
§ Unclassified.
SKA Ratings
o An RICS Environmental assessment method for non-domestic fit outs such as office
refurbishments.
o The scheme assesses fit out projects against a set of sustainability good practice criteria, known
as Good Practice Measures (GPM).
o SKA can act as an alternative to BREEAM which have higher costs in comparison.
LEED (Life Cycle Assessment).
o LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
o It is a USA equivalent of BREEAM.
o Ratings are:-
§ LEED Certified.
§ Silver.
§ Gold.
§ Platinum.
This method reviews embodied aspects of carbon emissions as well as life cycle assessment during
construction and operation.
What procedures does your firm implement to promote sustainability?
Recycling of cardboard, paper and plastics.
Cycle to work schemes.
Energy efficient equipment (LED lamps, energy efficient monitors).
Use of Energy efficient lighting (motion sensors).
Reduce printing by using cloud-based systems.
Introduction to the Low Emission Zones
What is the Paris Agreement?
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty concerning climate change.
It was adopted by nearly every nation and came into affect 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.
The agreement commits all major emitting countries to cut their climate pollution.
It also creates a framework for the transparent monitoring and reporting of each individual countries
progress
Name some sustainable building methods?
Use of recycled materials such as reclaimed timber, recycled tiles and plastics.
Ground Source Heat Pumps.
Air Source Heat Pumps.
Solar Panels.
Wind Turbines.
Solar Shading.
Rain water harvesting.
Green Roofs.
Automated Building Systems (Lighting sensors).
What is your understanding of the term ‘Green Roofs’?
A green roof is a roof covering that is partially or completely covered with vegetation that is placed over
a waterproof membrane.
Additional layers such as drainage layers, irrigation systems or root barriers may also be placed over the
membrane.
Rooftop ponds are an alternative form of green roof which are used to treat grey water.
The vegetation, soil, drainage layer, root barriers and irrigation system are typically the key components
of a green roof.
Advantages of Green Roofs are that they absorb rainwater, provide extra insulation, increase
biodiversity by providing habitats for wildlife, are aesthetically pleasing and lower urban air
temperatures.
What are Photovoltaics and how do they work?
Photovoltaics allow the conversion of sunlight into electricity.
Sunlight contains energy known as photons.
When photos hit solar modules within the solar panel they cause electrons to flow through the bottom
layer.
The movement of electrons generates electricity that flows to an inverter.
The inverter converts DC electricity into AC that is then used to power the building
What is a soakaway and how do they work?
Soakaways offer a means of surface water drainage attenuation.
They consist of large holes or pits that receive surface water from a drainage pipe.
The soakaway allows the collected surface water to gradually infiltrate through the soil.
Can you explain your understanding of the term carbon neutral?
Carbon neutrality is to have a balance between the carbon emitted and the carbon absorbed from the
atmosphere in carbon sinks.
This is an important measure of the impact that businesses and projects have on the environment and
global warming.
To date no artificial carbon sinks are able to remove carbon from the atmosphere at the levels required
to offset global warming.
What is meant by the term solar gain?
Solar gain is the name given to the increase in temperature in a space, object or structure due to solar
radiation (the heat from the sun).
A building can retain this solar gain by having high thermal mass or can avoid it by using reflective
materials and insulation.
