Sustainability is here to stay

This Issue This is a part of the Energy efficiency feature

By - , Build 96

If you thought that sustainability was the new ‘chardonnay’ of fashionable causes, you might like to think again.

Regulatory pressure to enshrine the principles of sustainability into every conceivable aspect of the Resource Management Act, the Building Act and the Building Code means that, ready or not, sustainability is here to stay.

In the building and construction industry, the idea of developing work habits that deliver quality results, efficiently maximising the benefits of activities while minimising the costs, is not new. This is what most would describe as ‘best practice’ and is an intrinsic part of apprenticeship training and industry up-skilling.

What you don’t see!

Sustainability however, requires a very considered approach. In many ways, it’s about what you don’t see. Designing energy-efficient buildings that use less water and produce less waste is largely an architectural challenge. Similarly, erecting buildings while minimising social and environmental disruption, is mostly a construction challenge. Those who create less waste, use materials more efficiently, have a good safety record and who are able to offer auditable reports on these factors, offer an advantage when it comes to securing projects, particularly in a tender situation where funding is highly competitive.

Investors and building occupiers are increasingly conscious of the social impact of construction and their preferences are for those who can deliver to sustainability criteria. They recognise that staff are happier and more productive in a sustainable building, which will also cost less to run. In a knowledge economy this relates directly to the financial bottom line. Equally, in a competitive tendering situation, when all else is equal, having an environmental policy that demonstrates sustainability in your business will likely be the tie-breaker.

New goal – lifestyle sustainability

Amongst the many pressures promoting sustainability is a raft of government policies designed to focus attention on how businesses and industries manage their environmental impacts, as much as on what they deliver to their clients. In this respect, sustainability principles in construction are an international phenomenon. There are abundant examples from Australia of how new houses must be designed and built to meet expectations of ‘lifestyle sustainability’. This means that information on usage of metered resources like water, electricity and gas, measured against standardised criteria, is used to express how ‘environmentally friendly’ a person’s lifestyle is. Far from regarding such resource monitoring as an imposition, living in an environmentally friendly dwelling contributes to a sense of well-being and is a positive lifestyle choice for homeowners.

Legislation in New Zealand increasingly supports the preferences of homeowners, investors and occupiers of commercial property who are looking for sustainability in building design and construction. Although many of the changes to the Building Code do not come into effect until 2007, many organisations are already adapting their practices and demonstrating a practical approach to sustainability. Self regulation by developers, such as commitment to the Green Building Council’s Green Star rating tool, and the uptake of environmental management systems certifiable to ISO 14001 by manufacturers, are examples.

Sustainability in New Zealand’s ‘built environment’ is an area where BRANZ is able to make a significant contribution. Earlier this year, the Sustainable Foundations Toolkit was released, providing a framework for those in the construction industry to develop processes for sustainable development with regard to social, environmental and economic impacts. BRANZ continues to consider what sustainability means in practical terms and, building on its core skills, is developing knowledge and consultancy expertise in the areas of adaptation to climate change, energy and water efficiency. A key component of the sustainability challenge is to unravel the plethora of regulations and communicate the important issues clearly to clients, and advise how they might respond with their own business strategies. For those in building and construction, BRANZ is able to add significant value by interpreting and forecasting the effects of sustainability on their markets, and by providing information that helps lift their performance.

While achieving ‘sustainable built environments’ is something of a dynamic goal, the drivers of sustainability are deeply entrenched in the construction industry. BRANZ has an important role to play in bringing sustainability goals into sharp focus and in leading the industry’s response to the challenges that sustainability presents.

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