Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
In summary, this approach seems fairly straightforward providing, of course,
that old buildings are refurbished accordingly. But the practicalities of implementing
this strategy (regardless of who carries the initial burden of the cost of the work
- public or private sector, landlord or tenant) could prove to be complex and
challenging. Government grants, tax credits and low interest loans for retrofitting
may well be on the table, but the work still needs to be commissioned, approved,
funded and carried out to a high standard before the policy goals are secured.
Consumers need to be convinced that the hassle of organising or applying for the
work to be done is worth the economic and environmental benefit. In
Chapter 10
,
we explain how governments do not always achieve their goals as numerous
barriers, such as market failures and behavioural issues, can get in the way. These
barriers can limit the level of take-up, and this raises questions about the potential
effectiveness of schemes such as the Green Deal.
Key Points 9.1
❍
The development of green buildings is important to sustainable
construction.
❍
Product differentiation can lead to short-term monopoly profits.
❍
A construction firm may differentiate its product by introducing
environmental specifications, and opportunities to achieve this are
emerging in the commercial, residential and infrastructure sectors.
❍
In relative terms, only a small number of green buildings exist (some
examples are listed in
Table 9.2
). The characteristics they display are
shown in
Tables 9.1
and
9.3.
❍
Policies designed to promote environmental design and energy efficient
refurbishment are difficult to implement. This issue is discussed further in
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
Implicit in the characteristics of green buildings and infrastructure is a better use
of resources. This is particularly well illustrated by low carbon projects and by
the passive house developments in Europe, which can achieve up to 90 per cent
reduction in energy consumption. Similar levels of resource gains are evident when
construction firms reuse and/or recycle materials, develop brownfield sites, minimise
waste, promote public transport and employ local labour. Indeed, achieving greater
levels of output with fewer resources lies at the very heart of achieving sustainable
construction.
Some analysts argue that much greater resource efficiency is achievable. In the
1990s, an important optimistic report -
Factor Four: Doubling Wealth, Halving
Resource Use
(Weizsäcker et al. 1998) - claimed that resource productivity could be
