Sustainability to L2 SoE Q’s Flashcards
What are the 3 pillars of sustainability?
Environmental: - Preventing harmful and potentially irreversible impacts on the environment Contribute to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic environment.
Social: - Respond to the needs of the wider community. Building healthy communities with sufficient numbers and range of buildings.
Economical: - Efficient use of resources, labour, design meets client requirements.
What should you do if the client doesn’t want to go with sustainability?
(See rule 3 of rules of conduct, example behaviours)
Clarify the importance of sustainability for all, the wider community including the client.
When might you advise on
SKA over BREEAM?
SKA rating is an environmental assessment method, benchmark and standard for non-domestic fit-outs, led and owned by RICS. Helps landlords and tenants assess fit-out projects against a set of sustainability good practice criteria.
What are the levels of SKA?
Easy to understand:
Bronze, Silver and Gold, plus a percentage score
What are the levels of
BREEAM?
Unclassified - Less than 30
Pass - Between 30 & 44
Good - Between 45 & 54
Very Good - Between 55 & 69
Excellent - Between 70 & 84
Outstanding - Above 85
Have you encountered any sustainable methods of construction on any of your projects?
Solar panels have been specified on the Office Refurb project.
Natural ventilation and a air source heat pump have been specified on the PBSA project .
Do you think there has been a shift to constructing more sustainable buildings?
Yes, the outcome of the COP conventions has highlighted the importance of building more sustainably.
Changes to the building regulations have also highlighted this, with the inclusion of Building Regs Part S - Infrastructure for charging electric vehicles.
Building Regs Part Z - Embodied Carbon, is a proposed amendment which is set to be approved.
The construction industry accounts for 36% of worldwide energy usage, and accounts for 40% of global carbon emissions.
What does BREEAM stand for? What is the purpose of BREEAM?
Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method
Purpose of BREEAM is to focus on sustainable value and measure sustainability performance through a series of categories:
1.Energy - Reducing energy usage through processes like a naturally ventilated facade
2.Land use and ecology
3.Water
4.Health and Wellbeing
5.Pollution - Reduce overall carbon
emissions produced during construction
6.Transport - Building close to local transport links
7.Materials - Use sustainable materials such as recycled steel
8.Waste - Reduce waste from site, undertake cut and fill to reduce this
9.Management
What are the different environmental assessment methods used to assess
sustainability?
• SKA
• LEED
NABERS
What is an EPC?
• Energy Performance
Certificate
When are EPC’s required?
They are required before any home is let or sold.
There is a minimum requirement that all rental properties have a minimum rating of C or better.
How does a DEC differ to an EPC?
A Display Energy Certificate is for public buildings and must be displayed.
Any building regulations you know relating to sustainability?
• Building regulations Part L -
Conservation of Fuel and Power
• Building regulations Part O -
Overheating
• Building regulations Part s -
Infrastructure for Charging Electric
Vehicles
Please provide on site examples which contribute to sustainability?
Some methods that may contribute to sustainability would be reuse of existing materials. Undertaking a cut and fill exercise will identify whether spoil can be reused on site and reduce the need for transportation off site.
What is embodied carbon?
Carbon emissions generated from all the activities involved in the creation and demolition of a building.
What did the RICS Futures
Report advise on
Sustainability?
Building construction and operations account for 36% of global energy use, and 40% of CO2 emissions.
RICS have established a Building Carbon database for detailed comparative data on carbon emissions.
RICS have also launched a professional statement on whole life carbon assessment for the built environment.
Provides information on the assessment of a building’s environmental performance.
RICS stated that they were committed to achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals.
RICS should take a leading role in sustainability in the built environment.
This was later echoed in the Bichard
Review.
What RICS guidance is there on Sustainability?
• RICS Futures Report 2020
• Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment
• RICS Sustainability Report 2022
• ICMS3 - RICS contribute to
What happened at COP 28?
Dubai
- Fast tracking energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030.
- New system of global rules to make it cheaper and more attractive for governments and businesses to finance sustainable initiatives.
- Put nature, people and livelihood at the heart of climate action.
- Greater inclusivity in COP (genders, children and youth).
What happened at COP 27?
In Sharm el - Sheik, in 2022, there were a series of takeaways:
A fund for loss and damage in vulnerable countries was established. This is for those hit hard by floods, droughts, and other climate disasters.
We need to maintain a clear intention to keep 1.5 degree global warming within reach. Current government pledges put the world on track to be 2.5 degrees warmer by the end of the century. Global emissions need to peak before 2025 and be reduced by 43% by 2030.
It was requested that governments accelerate efforts to phase out fossil fuels and highlighted the importance of a clean energy mix.
Zero tolerance for Greenwashing, there must be action.
The Sharm el - Sheik Implementation plan highlighted that to move to a low carbon economy, and an investment of $4-6 trillion would be needed a year. The goal to provide $100 billion per year to underdeveloped countries has not been met.
A shift to implementation, with everyone doing everything they can to address the climate crisis.
What is a green roof system and what are the sustainable benefits?
Roof covered with plants and vegetation.
1.Filter the air and water.
2.Produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.
3. Absorb rainwater which reduces storm water runoff.
What is NABERS?
National Australian Built Environment Rating System
Sustainability measure for buildings. Rating from 1 to 6 for building efficiency across:
1. Energy
2. Water
3. Waste
4. Indoor Environment
Value for 12 months - represents current operational performance.
What is sustainability?
Meeting the need of today without compromising the ability of the future.
What is the paris agreement and what does it set out?
A legally binding international treaty on climate change. Meet every year at COP to discuss commitments.
Commitments to:
1. Reduce global temperature increases to less than 1.5C.
2. Net Zero between 2050 & 2100.
3. Targets for reduced emissions.
4. Climate funding for poor countries to adopt renewable energy.
What are some of the BREEAM assessment categories?
- Management
- Water
- Pollution
- Health & Well being
- Energy
- Innovation
- Waste
- Transport
- Materials
What scores are required to achieve BREEAM accreditations?
Pass - 30%
Good - 45%
Very good - 55%
Excellent - 70%
Outstanding - 85%
What are the advantages of BREEAM?
- Shows a commitment to sustainability.
- Marketability.
- Lower operational costs.
When was BREEAM last changed / updated?
2022 - energy category was changed
How would you advise a client of the cost for BREAM if there was no information available?
Cost is dependent on the project and credits targeted but as a guide a 1 to 5 uplift would be recommended, depending on the category.
What credits did vou target on Jadebricks for BREAM?
HEA05 - acoustics (partitions & floors)
HEA06 - security (access control)
Which credits do you as a OS feed into for BREEAM?
Man01
1. Capital cost estimate
2. Capital cost of sustainable options
3. Life cycle costing
What is life cycle costing ?
Estimating the cost of not just upfront construction but maintenance, refurbishment, operational and end of life costs as well.
What is a green roof?
A type of roof finish which has a layer of vegetation on the surface
How does a green roof differ from a hot melt roof?
- Hot melt roof has waterproof layer finish.
- Green roof has vegetation on top with drainage layer.
Why might a green roof be considered sustainable?
- Remove carbon from the atmosphere
- Visually pleasing.
- Stork water runoff
- Biodiversity
How is a green roof socially sustainable?
Useful for roof gardens which are for social use.
How is a green roof environmentally sustainable?
- Removes carbon from the atmosphere helping air quality
- It is biodiverse - variety of life
What does a typical green roof build up?
- Roof deck
- Waterproofing
- Insulation
- Attenuation layer
- Growing media - substance through which roots grow
- Vegetation
What are some other sustainable technologies?
- PV
- ASHP - use the heat from outside air to to heat water or heat home
- PIR
- Wind turbine
What are SUDS?
Sustainable urban drainage systems
What is sustainability?
Our ability to meet the needs of today without impacting the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
What are the three pillars of sustainability / triple bottom line?
Economic - development meets todays needs with out impacting the future
Social - development improves local community & society
Environmental - development which isn’t detrimental to the physical environment
What are some examples of environmental, social and economic?
Economic - Reduction in waste, spending to produce better operational efficiency.
Environmental - design lead items to reduce emissions such as green roofs, solar panels, ASHP
Social - improve health and well being through internal planting, making buildings accessible, using local labour
Why is sustainability important in construction?
The construction industry is one of the worst industries for carbon emissions.
What is G&T’s sustainability policy?
Focusing on being more sustainable through, operations, procurement and energy usage.
What is G&T’s Net Zero Carbon policy?
Provides an overview if the companies carbon commitments
What are G&T’s carbon commitments?
- Reduce carbon emissions
- Be more efficient in energy usage
- Aim to achieve net zero by 2030 through travel, buildings and operations
What is Net Zero?
Where carbon emissions are offset by carbon reduction methods
How can a company offset carbon?
- Planting Trees
- Investing in wind turbines
- Investing in PV’s
- Waste to energy - using methane gas to generate electricity
What is life cycle carbon?
Carbon life of a building from manufacturing through construction, use and disposal
What is the difference between embodied and whole life carbon?
Operational carbon is a component of whole life carbon.
Whole life carbon focuses on the full life cycle.
What is passivhaus?
A design approach to create high energy efficient homes minimising heat loss
What is embodied carbon?
Embodied carbon focuses on the carbon emissions associated with manufacturing, transport, construction, maintenance and demolition
What are some ways to lower embodied carbon?
Using local supply chain
Reusing materials
Carbon offsetting
What is operational carbon?
Carbon emissions through operational period
Are you aware of any legislation which relates to sustainability?
Climate act - government required to reduce emissions
Energy act - framework for delivering secure, affordable and low carbon energy
Clean air act - establishes smoke free areas and limits the burning of coal
What is COP and what happened at COP28?
COP28 in Dubai focused first global stocktake of progress to net zero. committing to speed up transition away from fossil fuels
What is the paris agreement?
International treaty which aims to strengthen global response to climate change, committing to keep global temperatures below 2 degrees above industrial levels
What is paris proof?
Term by the Dutch Green Building Council which identifies the common goal for urban buildings to achieve the Paris Climate objectives.
Defines the amount of energy reduction required by construction industry to meet the net zero targets under the paris agreement
What is paris tort?
Defines the amount of energy reduction required by construction industry to meet the net zero targets under the paris agreement
What is ICMS and what is it for?
International Cost Management Standard used to calculate carbon and cost
What regulation relates to sustainability?
Part L Conservation of fuel and power - aims to lower carbon emissions by 31% of previous target in new dwellings with a focus on low energy heating
What are carbon hot spots?
Specific elements which contribute a substantial amount of embodied carbon in a project - steel & concrete
What is NABERS and how does it differ from BREEAM?
National Australian Building Energy Rating System
Sustainability measure for buildings. More focused on actual operational performance rather than holistic approach of BREEAM
