Sustainability L1 Flashcards
1
Q
What is COP26 and what does COP stand for?
A
- 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.
2
Q
What happened at COP26?
A
- 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.
3
Q
Please explain your understanding of the term sustainability?
A
- 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.
4
Q
What are the key principles of sustainability?
*
A
- 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.
5
Q
What are the core principles of Planning and Decision making around
sustainability?
A
- 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.
6
Q
What are the most common environmental issues experienced on
construction sites?
A
- 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
7
Q
What are the key pieces of legislation that affect sustainability in
construction?
A
- Agricultural Land Act – 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. - 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 – This legislation provides local authorities within England to introduce measures in
order to control air pollution. - Climate Change Act – 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 80% by 2050.
8
Q
What are the Key Building Regulations that relate to sustainability in
construction?
A
- 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.
9
Q
What are the different forms of taxation relating to sustainability?
A
- 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.
10
Q
What different code of practice are you aware of for measuring
sustainability?
A
- 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.
11
Q
What is your company’s sustainability policy?
A
Welbeck have Environmental, Social and Governance Goals which they apply to every planning permission. Where viable Welbeck will exceed minimum environmental standards. For example, a site in Henfield in which the scheme will produce 80% Bio-diversity Net Gain as opposed to minimum standards of 10%.
12
Q
What is the Paris Agreement?
A
- 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
13
Q
Name some sustainable building methods?
A
- 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).
14
Q
What is your understanding of the term ‘Green Roofs’?
A
- 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.
15
Q
What is a soakaway and how do they work?
A
- 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.
16
Q
Can you explain your understanding of the term carbon neutral?
A
- 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.
17
Q
What is meant by the term solar gain?
A
- 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.
18
Q
How can solar gain be managed in buildings?
A
- Limiting the size and area of openings such as doors and windows.
- Shading or orientating doors and windows from direct sunlight.
- Using reflective materials on the glass and building fabric.
- Insulating walls and roof spaces to prevent indirect solar gains into the building
19
Q
How does a ground source heat pump work?
A
- Heat from the ground is absorbed at low temperatures into a fluid inside a loop of pipe (a ground loop)
buried underground. - The fluid then passes through a compressor that raises it to a higher temperature, which can then heat
water for the heating and hot water circuits of the house. - The cooled ground-loop fluid passes back into the ground where it absorbs further energy from the
ground in a continuous process as long as heating is required.
20
Q
Please explain your understanding of the term SUDS?
A
- SUDS will slow down surface water run off by allowing it to infiltrate and soak into natural contours
and landscapes. - SUDS are considered to be environmentally friendly as they do not rely on the manufacture of plastic
or clay drainage components and instead utilise natural vegetation and material to absorb surface water
21
Q
What are the benefits of a BREEAM certified building?
A
- 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.
22
Q
What are the benefits of rainwater harvesting?
A
- It decreases the demand for water.
- It reduces the need for imported water.
- Rainwater harvesting promotes both water and energy conservation.
- Improved BREEAM compliance can be achieved.
- Lower operational costs can be gained.
