Sustainability Flashcards
What is COP?
“Conference of the Parties
- is attended by countries who signed the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty agreed in 1994”
The 2024 meeting was COP29 Baku Azerbaijan
The 2025 meeting will be COP30 Brazil
What happend at cop 29
The main outcome was the “Baku Climate Unity Pact,” focusing on a new global climate finance goal of at least $1.3 trillion per year by 2035, with developed countries aiming to mobilize at least $300 billion of that amount.
UK commitments from COP29?
“The UK announced a new NDC, aiming to cut emissions by 81% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.
The UK pledged £239 million to tackle deforestation in countries like Colombia and Indonesia, recognizing the importance of forests as carbon sinks.
COP29 Hydrogen Declaration:
The UK signed the COP29 Hydrogen Declaration, committing to scale up clean hydrogen production.
Coal Power Pledge:
The UK was one of 25 countries to pledge not to build any new unabated coal power plants. “
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.
What are the most common environmental issues experienced on
construction sites?
- Risks of Water Pollution.
- Air and Noise Pollution.
- High Energy Consumption and carbon emissions.
- Risk of land contamination.
- Damage to wild habitats.
- High Wastage production into landfill.
- Release of dangerous gases and chemicals.
What are the key pieces of legislation that affect sustainability in
construction?
Agricultural Land Act
Building Act – This is the primary piece of UK Legislation that enables the Building Regulations to be
enforced. This is to assist in the conservation of fuel and power, to prevent waste, misuse or
contamination of water and to ensure those in and around buildings are kept safe.
Clean Air Act
The Climate Change Act 2008 - establishes a legally binding framework for the UK to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a target of at least 80% reduction by 2050 from 1990 level
What are the Key Building Regulations that relate to sustainability in
construction?
- Building Regulations Part L — Conservation of Fuel and Power.
- Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.
o Requires that EPC’s are produced for dwellings and non-dwellings.
o Quantifies energy efficiency of buildings.
o Required when buildings are built, sold or rented.
o Commercial buildings over 500 sqm. and frequented by the public need to display a display
energy certificate (DEC) based on actual energy used.
What different code of practice are you aware of for measuring
sustainability?
BREEAM (Life Cycle Assessment).
SKA Ratings - An RICS Environmental assessment method for non-domestic fit outs
LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
It is a USA equivalent of BREEAM.
What is BREEAM?
BREEAM Stands for the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method.
Sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through
specification, design, construction and operation.
The assessment is undertaken by a licensed assessor based on energy, land & ecology, water,
health & wellbeing, pollution, materials and waste and management. - BREEAM applies to new and refurbishment projects, domestic and non-domestic.
- Rating are:
Outstanding.85%+
Excellent.70%+
Very Good.55%+
Good.45%+
Pass.30%+
Unclassified -30%
What are the benefits of a BREEAM certified building?
- BREEAM buildings help clients to benefit from lowering the running costs of their built assets and
minimising the impact on the environment through consideration at planning, design, construction and
operation phases. - Other benefits include greater marketability to building tenants through lower running costs and
creating desirable places to live and work. - A higher building value and positive PR message is also achieved through the increased sustainability of
the building, particularly when achieving BREEAM excellent and very good ratings.
What are the BREEAM headline assessment categories?
Management
Health and wellbeing
Energy
Transport Water
Materials
Waste
Land Use and Ecology
Pollution
Innovation
What is SKA?
SKA Ratings
- An RICS Environmental assessment method for non-domestic fit outs such as office
refurbishments.
- The scheme assesses fit out projects against a set of sustainability good practice criteria, known
as Good Practice Measures (GPM).
- SKA can act as an alternative to BREEAM which have higher costs in comparison.
What procedures does your firm implement to promote sustainability?
- Recycling of cardboard, paper and plastics.
- Use of Energy efficient lighting (motion sensors).
- Energy efficient equipment (LED lamps, energy efficient monitors).
- All company cars are to be EV’s by 2025.
- Cycle to work schemes.
- Reduce printing by using cloud-based systems.
- Charitable contributions (tree planting / environmental programmes).
- Sign up to Green initiatives and codes of practice (use office space with high EPC / BREEAM
ratings).
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 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.
SuDS stands for Sustainable Drainage Systems.
What is an EPC?
- Energy Performance Certificates were introduced in 2007 and are a legal requirement for a building to
be sold, let or constructed. - Once obtained, an EPC is valid for 10 years.
- The most efficient built assets typically have the lowest fuel bills and are in band A.
- EPC’s are rated on a scale of A-G.
- The energy efficiency of the built asset along with the potential efficiency following improvements are
identified. - The EPC will also show the amount of CO2 emissions produced by the property in tonnes and will
advise the amount this could be reduced by.
