Sustainability

Question 1

What is sustainability?

Answer 1

the practice of maintaining the conditions that allow humans and nature to exist in harmony, while meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations

Question 2

What is sustaiable development?

Answer 2

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations

Question 3

What are the triple bottom line principles?

3 pillars of sustainability

Answer 3

social, environemental and economic

Question 4

What does the NPPF say about sustaiable development?

Answer 4

sustainable development should be pursued in a positive way and the frame work of the NPPF is to regulate development so that it is done sustainablty

Question 5

Can you tell me about any climate change conventions or protocols you are aware of?

Answer 5

UN framework convention of climate change
Conference of the parties

Question 6

What targets did one of these set?

Answer 6

net zero by 2025

Question 7

What are the most recent EU/UK targets relating to sustainability?

Answer 7

limit global temperature rise by no more than 1.5 degrees

Question 8

what is the paris agreement?

Answer 8

legally binding international treaty that aims to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions

Question 9

What was the Kyoto protocol and what were its targets?

Answer 9

first international treaty to commit to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. decrease emissions by 5% and EU countries by 8%

Question 10

Explain your understanding of COP29

Answer 10

Conference of the parties in the UN Framework convention of climate change
held in Dubai

Question 11

What did the UK climate change act 2008 do?

Answer 11

it commmitted the UK to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050

Question 12

What is the UK’s current target for sustainability?

Answer 12

net zero by 2050

Question 13

What does net zero mean

Answer 13

completely negating the amount of greenhouse gases released by human activity by reducing emissions and implemeting methods of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Question 14

How will the UK achieve its net zero target?

Answer 14

following the 2021 net zero strategy ibcluding accelerating decarbonisation

Question 15

What are carbon budgets?

Answer 15

a limit on the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted over a set period of time

Question 16

What did the infrastructure act 2015 say about climate change?

Answer 16

no carbon emissions used for energy generated to heat or light a home

Question 17

What is the renewable heat incentive?

Answer 17

a government financial incentive to promote the use or renewable heat sources

Question 18

How can buildings impact upon the environment?

Answer 18

• lack of energy efficiency
• wasteful/harmful products

Question 19

Can you give me an example of a sustainable design feature?

Answer 19

solar panel roof’s

Question 20

Can you give me an example of an evironmental assessment method for buildings?

Answer 20

building research establishment environemtnal method

Question 21

Can you explain your understanding of the minimum energy efficiency standard to me?

Answer 21

sets out minimum requirements of energy performance certificates in the rental sector (E)

Question 22

How does MEES impact your role?

Answer 22

• during sales of residential properties ensuring EPC’s are up to date
• ensuring tenancies are valid in line with MEES

Question 23

What are the key dates for MEES?

Answer 23

1st april
2016 - domestic tenants given right to request EPC
2018 - unlawful to grant new tenancies less than an E
2019 - £3500 cost cap introduced
2020 - epc minimum applied to all tenancies
future proposed to raise to a C

Question 24

What falls outside of MEES?

Answer 24

99 yr leases
less than 6 month tenancies
commercial/agri

Question 25

Are there any exemptions from mees?

Answer 25

7 yr payback all improvements made third party consent property devaluation wall insulation high cost

Question 26

What ate the penalties fo non compliance of MEES?

Answer 26

fines

Question 27

What is an EPC?

Answer 27

Energy performance certificate

Question 28

What buildings require an EPC?

Answer 28

resi and commercial

Question 29

When is an EPC required?

Answer 29

Sale or lettingq

Question 30

Which buildings are exempt from having an EPC

Answer 30

agricultural less than 50sq m temporary building low energy use commercial

Question 31

When do you need to display an EPC

Answer 31

when marketing

Question 32

What is included in an EPC?

Answer 32

a performance rating suggestions for improvements

Question 33

How would you find an EPC

Answer 33

Government EPC register

Question 34

What are the penalties for not having an EPC?

Answer 34

Fine

Question 35

What did Rishi Sunak announce in september 2023 regarding the uk net zero target?

Answer 35

increase in grant funding for boilers

Question 36

What is a DEC?

Answer 36

Display energy certificate

Question 37

When is a DEC required?

Answer 37

in public buildings

Question 38

What must accompany a DEC?

Answer 38

advisory report containing recommendations for improvement

Question 39

What are the penalties for not having a DEC?

Answer 39

fine

Question 40

What is corporate social responsibility?

Answer 40

an inclusion within a business plan that sets out a companys commitment to operating in a way that is ethical, sustainable and socially responsible

Question 41

What happened to the code for sustainable homes?

Answer 41

withdrawn and replaced by national technical standards

Question 42

What is the climate change levy?

Answer 42

an enviornmental tax on business energy use to encourage energy efficiency introducted april 2021

Question 43

name on example of government policy on energy efficiency buildings?

Answer 43

heat and building strategy

Question 44

What is ESOS

Answer 44

energy savings opportunitys scheme

Question 45

when was CRC abolished

Answer 45

2019

Question 46

What replaced the CRC

Answer 46

SECR and climate change levy

Question 47

How did CCL rates change?

Answer 47

increase to match cost

Question 48

What is the SECR regime?

Answer 48

streamlined energy and carbon reporting regime

Question 49

When was the SECR introduced?

Answer 49

1st april 2019

Question 50

What is a memorandum of understanding?

Answer 50

a non binding agreement that outlines the intentions of two or more parties

Question 51

What is a Green lease?

Answer 51

a legally binding agreement between LL and T that includes clauses to improve a builkdings energy performance

Question 52

What RICS guidance relates to sustainability?

Answer 52

ESG and sustainability in valuation

Question 53

How can an EPC impact upon value or use of a building?

Answer 53

a better EPC rating can increase a properties value, and whether a property can be let

Question 54

How do you assess

Answer 54

BREEAM

Question 55

Tell me about sustainable design/constructions/considerations/materials.

Answer 55

matierals that blend into the countryside, materials that have insulating properties (insulated cladding)

Question 56

tell me about lender considerations in relation to sustainability

Answer 56

low sustainable buildings may looked at unfavourably by lenders, due to decrease in value and future government policies

Question 57

Explain your understanding of the Green Deal to me

Answer 57

for the european union to be the first climate neutral bloc

Question 58

How can building conservation relate to sustainability

Answer 58

it involves caring for the property for future years to continue to benefit from

Question 59

What are the UN sustainable development goals?

Answer 59

end poverty in all ways by 2030

Question 60

how many sustainable development goals are there

Answer 60

17

Question 61

What is the target achievement sate of the UN sustainable development goals

Answer 61

2030

Question 62

How are RICS working towards the sustainable development goals?

Answer 62

helps to identify the most critical issues facing companies with a stake in land, real estate and constuction in relation to SDGs'

Question 63

What is the RICS Value the Planet Campaign?

Answer 63

aims to address specific sustainability challenges, such as thse related to poverty, inequuality, climate change, environmetnal degregation and social justice

Question 64

How can the private sector work towards SDG's?

Answer 64

creating employment building skills spurring innovation providing essential infrastructure suuplying affordable goods and services

Question 65

What is SUD's?

Answer 65

sustainable drainage systems

Question 66

What is net biodiversity gain?

Answer 66

making sure development has a measurably positive impact on biodiversity

Question 67

What is an enviornmental management system?

Answer 67

frame work of policies, procedures and practices that help organisations recuce their environemental impact and increase their effiecieny

Question 68

What is sustainable procurement>

Answer 68

a way of making purchasing decisions that consider the environmental, social and economic impact of a product or service

Question 69

What is social value?

Answer 69

ensuring that public spending generates additional, social, economic and or evironmental benefits

Question 70

What does the term whole life carbon mean?

Answer 70

carbon emmisions resulting from materials, construction, and use over a buildings entire life including demolition and disposlal

Question 71

What is an environmental impact assessment and when would one be carried out?

Answer 71

a tool to assess the signifcant impacts of a development proposal on the environemnt. as early as possible in a projects stages

Question 72

Explain your understanding of the help to heat scheme

Answer 72

designed to direct help to those suffering from fuel poverty, reduce some of the beauracracy and concentrate on replacing inefficient heating solutions.

Question 73

What is the smart export guaruntee?

Answer 73

government backed programme that compensates small scale generators for low-carbon electricity they export to the national grid

Question 74

Explain the key objectives of the Enviornment Act 2021

Answer 74

air qualit biodiverity water waste

Question 75

What is the role of the office for environmental protection.

Answer 75

protect and improve the environment by holding government bodies to account

Question 76

tell me about the RICS future foundations strategy.

Answer 76

encouraging the creation of an organisation that is future fit, establishing a culture of conitnuous change and learning.