Global Standards –

Creating an international language for carbon

Energy Solutions Expo –

7th

October 2009

Alan Yates –

Technical Director, Sustainability

Summary• Where are we now?

– BREEAM, LEED and Green Star• Global standards

– Why do we need them?– What are we doing?– What are our aims

• What are the impacts?– Markets– Designers & specifiers

Building Assessment Schemes Globally

BREEAM

LEED

GreenStar

DGNB

Casbee

Interest

What they do:

• Tools to measure the sustainability of buildings

• All have the same aim but different approaches

• Different geographical/ industry focus

BREEAM, LEED & Green Star

Objectives• Reduce

environmental impacts

of

buildings • Improve indoor conditions

for users

• Provide a credible environmental label• Allow a transparent comparison

of

buildings• Set criteria and standards over and

above

those required by legislation• Challenge the market for more

innovative

solutions• Stimulate the demand

for sustainable

buildings• Allow organisations to demonstrate their

progress towards achieving their corporate responsibility

objectives on

sustainability

BREEAM

Minimum Standards

EnergyManagementHealth & Well-beingWaterWasteLand Use & Ecology

Tradable Credits

EnergyWaterMaterialsTransportWastePollutionHealth & Well-beingManagementLand Use & Ecology

Envi

ronm

enta

l Wei

ghtin

g

Final Score

Cat

egor

y Sc

ores

Pass ≥ 30Good ≥ 45Very Good ≥ 55Excellent ≥ 70Outstanding ≥ 85

Innovation CreditsExemplary Performance RequirementsApproved Innovation Credits

BREEAM

Environmental Standards

Num

ber o

f bui

ldin

gs

Regu

lator

y min

imum

Minimal

BREEAM

Aspirational

BREEAM

Environmental Standards

Num

ber o

f bui

ldin

gs

Regu

lator

y min

imum

Minimal

BREEAM

Aspirational

Very

Goo

d

Pass

Goo

d

Exce

llent

Out

stan

ding

BREEAM

BREEAM Communities

BREEAM Buildings/Code for Sustainable Homes

Preparation

Design

Pre-construction

Construction

Demolition

Refurb.

Use

BREEAM in Use

Smart Waste

Green Print

Green Guide

Env. Profiles & Responsible SourcingCer

tific

atio

nTo

ols

Gui

danc

e

BRE Reports, Digests, Information Papers

BRE Events & Training

RIB

A W

ork

Sta

ge

AB

CD

E

F JG

H

L M NK

BES Product /Competent Person Schemes

Research

BREEAM LEED Green StarManagement ManagementHealth & Wellbeing

Indoor Environmental Quality

Indoor Environment Quality

Energy Energy & Atmosphere EnergyTransport TransportWater Water Efficiency WaterMaterials Materials & Resources MaterialsWasteLand Use & Ecology

Sustainable Sites Land Use & Ecology

Pollution Emissions

Innovation Innovation & Design Innovation

201,399 units 3,375 units 185 unitsUnits assessed to date

• BREEAM – KgCO2 /m2/yr

• LEED - $/m2/yr

• Green Star - KgCO2 /m2/yr

Metrics vary

+ Calculation methods vary

Corporate Responsibility

What are the issues?

• Different metrics

• Different methodologies

• Different boundaries– What is included – What is excluded

For key issues such as energy/CO2 emissions:

• To compare performance between buildings in different countries/using different rating systems

• Encourage sustainability in globally active companies to adopt sustainability targets at a corporate level across thier whole portfolio

• To work towards a common methodology for assessing performance

Why do we need global metrics?

• Co-operation between the leading rating tools

• Memorandum of Understanding between major international scheme operators

• Increasing co-operation with European Green Building Councils etc. – Sustainable Buildings Alliance

Working towards global standards

Partners

• BRE Global (BREEAM)• UK Green Building Council• US Green Building Council

(LEED)• Australian Green Building

Council (GreenStar)• DGNB• Sustainable Buildings Alliance• UNEP

Working towards global standardsScope of current project:

– To inform current methodologies

– To consider the whole lifecycle of the building: Construction/Before use, In use, End of life

– To focus on offices as a starting point,

• A common measure of calculating environmental performance accross borders (CO2 equivalent)

• Harmonise the development of comparable carbon metrics within current/new schemes

• Improve understanding of the carbon impacts of buildings and the built environment

• Inform development of National Calculation Methodologies/Standards/Regulations

• In the long term provide performance benchmarks internationally

Aims

Principles • Openness & Transparency • Open Source & Inclusivity• Modular Approach• Pragmatic• Flexible• Realistic

Carbon Reduction Hierarchy

?

70%

150%

Allowable Solutions(Off site)

Carbon Compliance(On/Near site)

Energy Efficiency(Energy demand)

Car

bon

redu

ctio

n fro

m re

gula

ted

ener

gy u

se

Scope

Product stage

Construction stage

In use stageBefore use stage After use stage

Ope

ratio

n o

f bui

ldin

g In

corp

orat

ed s

ervi

ces

Use

of o

ther

ser

vice

s in

bui

ldin

gs

Tran

spor

t

Mai

nten

ance

repa

ir A

nd re

furb

ishm

ent

Dec

onst

ruct

ion

Tran

spor

t

Dis

posa

l

Rec

yclin

g R

e U

se

Raw

mat

eria

l pro

cess

Tran

spor

t

Man

ufac

turin

g

Tran

spor

t

Con

stru

ctio

n In

stal

latio

n pr

oces

sProduct

stageConstruction

stage

In use stageBefore use stage After use stage

Ope

ratio

n o

f bui

ldin

g In

corp

orat

ed s

ervi

ces

Use

of o

ther

ser

vice

s in

bui

ldin

gs

Tran

spor

t

Mai

nten

ance

repa

ir A

nd re

furb

ishm

ent

Dec

onst

ruct

ion

Tran

spor

t

Dis

posa

l

Rec

yclin

g R

e U

se

Raw

mat

eria

l pro

cess

Tran

spor

t

Man

ufac

turin

g

Tran

spor

t

Con

stru

ctio

n In

stal

latio

n pr

oces

s

Timescales

A staged process

• First stage is to agree the overall framework based on what can be measured by all

• Presentation in Copenhagen 2009• Incorporation into existing schemes (2010?)• Subsequent stages will be incorporated as and

when they are developed

Impact on current methods/ markets

• The framework is designed to inform not replace existing methods (such as BREEAM, LEED and Green Star),

• Allow comparison between projects assessed under different schemes

• Allow environmental impacts to inform global property decisions

• Create the potential for dual certification

• Impact should be minimal as the framework is designed to be incorporated into existing schemes

• Improve the ability to use international experience/case studies

• Some additional information on material, construction, operation and deconstruction impacts will need to be recorded

Impact on designers and specifiers

BRE International Strategy• Establishing a family of BREEAM Accredited

methods worldwide with:– Local development (with BRE Auditing);– Local operation;– Local scheme ownership and governance.

• BREEAM International based schemes:– follow a common structure, scope, comparable standards

(opportunity);– incorporate evidence based criteria;– are based on local regulations, standards and practices;– take full account of local context (i.e. technologies, supply chain,

structures, practices, climate etc.);– involve third party certification.

The way forward• ‘One size does not fit all’ for whole building

assessment methods

• Comparability is a necessity to promote greater corporate responsibility – common structure, scope, method– incorporate evidence based criteria– cover as much of the life cycle as possible;

• Local markets may require different presentation of results to maximise benefit