Sustainability

Glossary

Achieving Excellence in Construction

OGC's "Achieving Excellence 11: Sustainability" sets out the processes by which a public sector client can procure and deliver construction projects that best promote sustainable development, while achieving optimum whole life value. The guide must be consulted where a programme or project contains a construction element.  

"Achieving Excellence 11: Sustainability" is available on OGC's website here.

BREEAM

The Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is regarded by the UK's construction and property sector as the measure of best practice in environmental design and management. BREEAM, or an equivalent methodology, must be used in all major government construction projects. In new builds a rating of "excellent" must be achieved, in major refurbishments a rating of at least "very good" must be achieved.  

More information on BREEAM is available on the BRE website here.

Carbon Management Programme

The Carbon Trust's "Carbon Management Programme" is a systematic approach to managing the risks and realising the opportunities that climate change presents. This includes planning for increased energy prices and complying with UK and European legislation. The programme should be adopted by every department at an organisational level to inform all aspects of their business, including their estates.

More information can be found on the Carbon Trust's website here.

Carbon Reduction Commitment

The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is a mandatory carbon trading scheme for low polluting commercial organisations and public sector bodies, including Government departments. As in similar schemes, a CO2 allowance will be set each year, with organisations buying and trading credits for the right to emit CO2. At the end of each year all organisations will have to surrender enough credits to cover their total CO2 emissions. The CO2 allowance will be reduced annually. Plans for CRC have just been through a consultation process, with a view to launching the scheme in January 2010 at the earliest.

More information on CRC is available on the Defra website.

Common Minimum Standards for the Built Environment

OGC's Common Minimum Standards for the Built Environment must be consulted where a business case for a new programme or project includes building and refurbishment work. The Common Minimum Standards include a number of sustainability requirements, several of which are mandatory in their own right.

They are available on the OGC website.

Energy Certificates

• Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) will be required on construction, sale or rent for commercial buildings larger than 10,000m2 from 6 April 2008,  2,500 m2 from 1 June 2008 and 1 October 2008 for all other commercial buildings. They will rate how energy efficient a property is as a building.
• Display Energy Certificates (DEC) will be required in all public sector buildings/office larger than 1000m2 and be prominently displayed where all public visitors will be able to see them, from 1 October 2008. They will rate the operational energy efficiency of a property.

Both forms of certificate will give a building's energy performance a rating from A to G - A being very good, G very bad - much like domestic appliances. The qualified engineer issuing the certificate will also provide a report, including suggestions for improving energy efficiency.

For up-to-date details on launch dates and other news, please refer to the Department for Communities and Local Government website.

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has been designed by the European Commission to improve the energy performance of all buildings across the EU. The Directive will require that energy certificates be produced for buildings on construction, sale and lease. Large public sector buildings will be required to display energy certificates to the public. The Directive also targets boilers and air conditioning as major sources of energy consumption.    

Read more about Energy Certificates   

More information on EPBD is available on the Communities & Local Government website.

Energy Services Directive

The Energy Services Directive (ESD) has been introduced by the European Commission to remove impediments and encourage energy efficiency across the European Union. Work to implement the Directive will include a review of current energy metering and billing information. The Directive also states that the public sector should fulfil "an exemplary role" in energy efficiency. Defra and BERR have recently run consultations on the implications of implementation.

More information on ESD is available on the Defra website.

Environmental Management Systems

Environmental Management Systems have an important part to play in the delivery of improvements in environmental performance, particularly in reducing waste arisings and energy and water consumption. They help to ensure that data collection and monitoring is systematic and robust and in generally improving the efficiency of management processes. Environmental management systems should be accredited using a national or international standard, such as ISO 14001, BS 8555 or EMAS. All departments should work towards having environmental management systems in place for all their offices.

More information about environmental management systems can be found on Defra's website.

Sustainability Appraisals

Sustainability appraisals are a tool that provide for the systematic identification and evaluation of the economic, social and environmental impacts of a proposal. These appraisals should take a long term view of the expected effects and form an integral part of all stages of plan preparation. They must be conducted for all office relocations, however it would be beneficial to apply sustainability appraisals to any major decision about office estate.    

More information on creating and using sustainability appraisals is set out in the Ministry of Defence's "The Sustainability Appraisal Handbook: For the MoD Estate", available on the MoD website.

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