Sustainability

Question 1

What is the impact of the built environment on the planet?

Answer 1

It’s responsible for almost 40% of global energy related carbon emissions

Question 2

What is your firm’s net zero target?

Answer 2

Net zero by 2030

Question 3

What are MEES?

Answer 3

a. Minimum energy efficiency standards 2015
b. Make it illegal for a private rented property to get below E on EPC since April 2018

Question 4

What are penalties for not meeting MEES?

Answer 4

a. For residential:
i. If a breach is less than 3 months = £2000
ii. If a breach is more than 3 months = £4000

Question 5

What are exemptions from MEES?

Answer 5

a. Places of worship
b. Industrial units with low energy demands
c. Where tenancy is less than 6 months with no security of tenure
d. Where it can be proven that improvements would devalue the property by more than 5%
e. Listed properties

Question 6

What is an EPC?

Answer 6

Legal document providing a rating in relation to energy performance of the property itself (the fabric) and its services (heating, lighting, hot water)

Question 7

What must an EPC certificate include?

Answer 7

a. Address of property
b. Floor area
c. Information on property’s energy provision
d. Estimate of energy running costs
e. Rating from A+ to G
f. Benchmarking information

Question 8

How do you improve your EPC score?

Answer 8

a. Upgrade lighting to LED bulbs
b. Insulate walls and roof
c. Invest in double/triple glazed windows
d. Upgrade boiler
e. Install a smart meter
f. Invest in renewable energy

Question 9

What is BREEAM?

Answer 9

a. Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

b. Voluntary environmental assessment tool to rate new and refurbished buildings

c. BREAAM assessors rate a building’s impact by reference to nine environmental weightings:
i. Energy consumption
ii. Water use
iii. Transport links
iv. Waste
v. Health & wellbeing
vi. Land use
vii. Pollution
viii. Materials
ix. Management
d. There are five BREEAM ratings:
i. Pass
ii. Good
iii. Very good
iv. Excellent
v. Outstanding

Question 10

What is ESOS?

Answer 10

a. Energy savings opportunity scheme
b. Energy assessment scheme that is mandatory for large organisations

Question 11

What are the Heat Network Regulations 2014 (amended 2015 and 2020)

Answer 11

a. Relate to provision of communal heating systems in multi-occupied commercial and residential scheme and to district heating systems
b. Final consumers must be provided with accurate meter readings

Question 12

What is the CCL?

Answer 12

a. Climate Change Levy
b. Replaced the Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme
c. Tax on energy to non-domestic users in the UK
d. Consumers charged by energy providers who forward bill to UK Treasury
e. Energy from renewable sources is exempt from CCL

Question 13

How long is an EPC certificate valid?

Answer 13

a. 10 years unless the building is altered
b. If altered, a new EPC is required

Question 14

What must the front of an EPC certificate include?

Answer 14

a. Address and floor area
b. EPC certificate reference number
c. Technical information on property’s energy provision
d. Estimation of energy running costs
e. EPC rating
f. Benchmarking information

Question 15

What is RICS’ commitment to sustainability?

Answer 15

Decarbonising the built environment

Question 16

Where can EPC date be found?

Answer 16

EPC online register

Question 17

What are the EPC requirements for marketing?

Answer 17

a. Must be commissioned within 7 days of the commencement of marketing
b. Agents are responsible for procuring EPCs
c. Only the actual rating has to be displayed on advertisements and graph should be shown if space allows
d. All online marketing should have a link to the EPC

Question 18

What are some EPC related penalties for marketing?

Answer 18

a. Local authorities’ Trading Standards team will enforce regulations
b. Residential = £200 fixed fine for non-display on marketing material
c. Commercial = Max penalty of 12.5% of the RV of the building (minimum £500 and maximum £5,000)

Question 19

What are MEES related penalties?

Answer 19

a. Policed by LA
b. Residential = £2,000 if a breach lasts less than 3 months, £4,000 if longer
c. Landlords are required to spend up to £3,500 where an AST was granted on or since 1st April 2019 if properties have an F or G rating

Question 20

What is a Display Energy Certificate?

Answer 20

a. Display actual energy used and CO2 emissions
b. Required for public buildings and those occupied by public authorities over 250 sq m

Question 21

What is Biodiversity Net Gain?

Answer 21

a. A way to contribute to the recovery of nature while developing land

b. Ensures the habitat for wildlife is in a better state than before

c. In accordance with the Environment Act 2021, all new buildings have to improve the biodiversity of the site by a minimum of 10%

d. Smaller sites can be exempt (Threshold is around 25 sq m)

Question 22

How can we achieve Net Zero (built environment)?

Answer 22

a. Continued decarbonization of the electricity grid

b. Phasing out of fossil fuels in new homes

c. Future-proofing all new homes for low-carbon heating (e.g. heat pumps, heat storage)

d. Retrofitting existing homes to make them low-carbon and climate-resilient

Question 23

Tell me about the Climate Change Act 2008?

Answer 23

a) The Climate Change Act 2008 is the basis for the UK’s approach to tackling and responding to climate change. It requires that emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are reduced and that climate change risks are adapted to. The Act also establishes the framework to deliver on these requirements

b) UK to achieve net zero carbon by 2050

c) interim target of reducing emission by 78% by 2030

Question 24

What is your understanding of ESG and how does it impact your day to day work?

Answer 24

a) ESG is environmental social and governance and it’s a framework which measures companies in how sustainable they are and how they are meeting the UN Sustainability Development Goals.

b. And this is something that my company is one of the leaders in

Question 25

What are some key MEES dates?

Answer 25

a. EPC introduced October 2008
b. April 2016 MEES bought into law
c. April 2018 Rental properties need to be at least E
d. April 2020 all domestic property must be at least E
e. April 2023 all commercial property must be at least E
f. The key changes for the housing sector are:
g. The ban on new oil fired boilers has been pushed back from 2026 to 2035
h. The requirement for all rental properties to have an EPC rating of C has been abolished – although whether this extends to RPs is still to be established

Question 26

Key documents

Answer 26

• RICS Rules of Conduct (2021) - section 3.10
• RICS Red Book Global (2021) - VPGA 8
• RICS Guidance Note ‘Environmental Risks and global real estate’ (2018)
• Sustainability and ESG professional standard

Question 27

What is the Residential Retrofit Standard - effective from 31 October 2024?

Answer 27

• has been created in response to demand for retrofit services in the UK
• professional standard sets out a series mandatory and recommended requirements

Question 28

What does Net Zero 50 mean?