Sustainability Level 1 Flashcards
What is sustainability?
Often split into three strands: environmental, economic and social, and if all achieved, allows for meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations.
Environmental: Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.
Economic: Practices which allow for long-term economic development, balancing the needs of the environment and people.
Social: Equity and inclusion; community and participation; and, access to basic services and resources.
What is sustainable development?
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What are the triple bottom line principles?
Profit: The financial return of an organisation.
People: An organisation’s commitment to positively impacting society.
Planet: An organisation’s effect on the environment.
What does the NPPF say about sustainable development?
That achieving sustainable development means the planning system has 3 overarching objectives, which are interdependent and need to be pursued in mutually supportive ways to allow for opportunities to secure net gain across each:
Economic
Social
Environmental
Includes the presumption in favour of sustainable development in plan making and decision taking.
Can you tell me about any Climate Change Conventions or Protocols you are aware of?
What targets did one of the Climate Change Conventions or Protocols you are aware of set?
What are the most recent EU / UK targets relating to sustainability?
What is the Paris Agreement?
Legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 Parties. Intended to strengthen the global response to the tackling climate change by keeping global temperature rise this century below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
What was the Kyoto Protocol and what were it’s targets?
What are the 2020/2030/2050 EU targets?
Explain your understanding of COP26.
What did the UK Climate Change Act 2008 do?
What are carbon budgets?
What did the Infrastructure Act 2015 say about climate change?
What is the renewable heat incentive?
How can buildings impact upon the environment?
Can you give me an example of a sustainable design feature?
Can you give me an example of an environmental assessment method for buildings?
Can you explain your understanding of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) to me?
How does MEES impact upon your role?
What are the key dates for MEES?
What falls outside of MEES?
Are there any exemptions from MEES?
What are the penalties for non-compliance to MEES?
What is an EPC?
What buildings require an EPC?
When is an EPC required?
Which buildings are exempt from having an EPC?
When do you need to display an EPC?
What is included in an EPC?
How would you find an EPC?
When are the penalties for not having an EPC?
What is a DEC?
When is a DEC required?
What must accompany a DEC?
What are the penalties for not having a DEC?
What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?
What is BREEAM/SKArating/LEED/Passivhaus?
What happened to the Code for Sustainable Homes?
What is the Climate Change Levy?
What Building Regulation relates to energy efficiency?
Name one example of Government policy on energy efficiency for buildings?
What is ESOS?
When was CRC abolished and what replaced it?
How did CCL rates change?
What is the SECR regime, when was it introduced, and for what type of company?
Who is exempt from SECR?
What are the requirements of SECR?
What are the penalties for non-compliance with SECR?
What is a Memorandum of Understanding?
What is a green lease?
What RICS guidance relates to sustainability?
How can an EPC impact upon value or use of a building?
How do you assess a building’s sustainability characteristics?
Tell me about sustainable design / construction considerations/materials
What improvable features would you be looking for and how do these relate to different property types/ages?
Tell me about how you would apply a sustainability matrix in your work.
What is Off Site Manufacture (OSM)?
Tell me about tenant/lender/investor considerations in relation to sustainability.
Explain your understanding of the Green Deal to me.
How can building conservation relate to sustainability?
What features would you recommend in this context?
Tell me about RICS guidance on Life Cycle Costs.
What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how many are there?
What is the target achievement date for the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
How are RICS working towards the SDGs?
What is the RICS Value the Planet campaign?
How can the private sector work towards the SDGs?
What are SUDS?
What is net biodiversity gain?
What do each of ISO 14001 and 50001 relate to?
What is an Environmental Management System (EMS)?
What is sustainable procurement?
What is social value?
What does the term whole life carbon mean?
How does whole life carbon differ from life cycle costs?
What opportunities to decarbonise exist in the building life cycle?
What is a post-occupancy evaluation?
What is an Environmental Impact Assessment and when would one be carried out?
What methods of construction are more sustainable?
What are Modern Methods of Construction?
What is PAS 2035?
When and why was the Green Grant scrapped?
What further changes are proposed to minimum energy standards relating to private residential property?
Explain your understanding of NABERS.
Explain a key proposal of the Energy White Paper.
What changes are likely to be made to MEES under the Energy White Paper?
Explain the proposed changes under current Government consultation to MEES for non-domestic properties?
Explain how EPC reporting on the Government website has changed.
Explain the proposals under the Future Homes Standard and Future Buildings Standard.
Explain the proposals under the Government’s Net Zero Strategy and Heat & Buildings Strategy.
What is the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme and what will it fund?
Explain your understanding of the Help to Heat scheme.
Explain a key theme discussed in the RICS and World Built Environment Forum Sustainability Report 2021.
What is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)?
What is the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)?
What are the Taxonomy Regulations?
Explain your understanding of the B Corp certification.
What is BOPAS?
What changes is the Government making to the use of rebated diesel and biofuels and how will this affect the construction industry?
Explain the key objectives of the Environment Act 2021.
What is the role of the Office for Environmental Protection?
What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions?
What does Approved Document L relate to?
What recent changes to the Building Regulations have been made to work towards the Future Homes and Buildings Standard in 2025?
What does Approved Document S relate to?
Why is the Government encouraging the use of electric vehicles?
What is the UN Race to Zero?
What is the World GBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment?
