Sustainability

Question 1

What is sustainability?

Answer 1

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising on the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Question 2

What are the three pillars of sustainability?

Answer 2

Environmental - contributing towards the protection and enhancement of both our built and natural environment.

Economic - build strong, responsive and competitive economies

Social - building healthy communities with sufficient numbers and range of buildings

Question 3

What is BREEAM?

Answer 3

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method - a sustainability assessment method that is used to masterplan projects, infrastructure and buildings.

Question 4

What is an EPC?

Answer 4

Energy performance certificate - tells you how energy efficient a building is with a rating from A to G. The certificate gives upgrade recommendations and is valid for a period of 10 years.

Question 5

What key pieces of legislation affect sustainability in your area of practice?

Answer 5

Building Regulations (Scotland) 2004
Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and the 2019 amendment

Question 6

What target does the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) Act 2019 aim for?

Answer 6

Net zero emissions in Scotland by 2045, previously set to be achieved by 2050.

Question 7

What is COP?

Answer 7

COP (Conference of the Parties) is a series of United Nations climate change conferences, which have been running since 1995.

Question 8

What is the Paris Agreement?

Answer 8

At Cop 21 in 2015 in Paris, a legally binding agreement to prevent temperatures rising 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to avoid the most dangerous effects of global warming.

Question 9

What happened at COP26?

Answer 9

• Explicit plan to reduce coal use by 40%
• Agreed to “phase down” rather than phase out coal use in China & India.
• Increase of money to help developing countries cope with climate change and switch to clean energy.
• Pledge of trillion dollar fund from 2025 onwards after previous $100bn a year pledge was missed in 2020.

Question 10

What happened at COP27?

Answer 10

• Highlighted countries most effected by loss or damage due to extreme weather.
• New loss & damage fund agreed where richer countries who missed previous targets must provide $100bn to countries most in need.
• Larger focus on paying for damage caused by climate change rather than mitigation - seen as a failure.
• Key targets including carbon emissions and phasedown of fossil fuels not given enough weight - seen as a failure.