4 December 2008
The issue of how efficiently a building uses energy, the BREEAM rating, has dramatically risen in importance for most FMs and property managers in the past year, according to recent survey.
In 2007 only 6 per cent of respondents said it was the key environmental issue on a project. This year 21 per cent said it is the key issue for them, making it the second most often stated most important issue.
But for the third year running the most often mentioned key issue, as noted by 28 per cent of respondents, was “procurement and use of more sustainable products and services”.
Tied for second place with BREEAM rating was “climate change and carbon dioxide emissions”.
Recycling and waste management was the key issue for 12 percent, notes the survey of the 164 delegates to Overbuy’s third annual sustainable commercial office refurbishment seminar.
More than seven in ten of respondents were unable to endorse the government’s work in these environmental areas. However, the ambivalence of the vast majority – nearly three-quarters seeing only success “to some degree” - may be because they perceive green building policies as a work in progress.
The report says that “the clear message here is that the responsibility for green issues across several agencies causes confusion and makes it more difficult to achieve green outcomes”.
A single department is required, according to 81 per cent of respondents, while 7 per cent felt that it didn’t matter.
When asked who should take the responsibility, no single agency dominated the voting. The most frequently nominated body was the BRE, nominated by 26 per cent of those who expressed a preference. Defra and the Environment Agency attracted 18 per cent and 13 per cent of votes respectively.
Some kind of independent body that may not necessarily yet exist was a suggestion by 16 per cent of respondents.
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