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
