Assessment of Tools for Sustainability Appraisal of Buildings/Building Groups

Abstract

The construction sector is one of the significant users of energy and natural resources. It was estimated that the sector uses nearly 40% of the total raw-material inflow to the global economy each year. Based on this fact, the construction sector is an essential contributor to environmental pollution and poses challenges in meeting sustainable development goals. This paper discusses the building assessment tools or models used to assess whether a building meets environmental standards with the view to explore the applications of these tools and their benefits. The paper notes that the environmental assessment models and the assessment itself are worthwhile as it offers several benefits to the society and environment, especially the first among them, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the UK. The BREEAM model has created awareness among the stakeholders and has achieved high levels of success. Over 1000 buildings have been assessed in the UK and over 1800 individuals involved as assessors. Thus, it creates jobs in addition to protecting the environment. Mitigation measures are integrated into the certification. It is cost-effective, especially in the long run and more environmentally friendly, unlike the conventional ones. Moreover, efforts should be geared towards harmonising the rating scales and standards across continents or climate regions.

Keywords

• Climate change
• Environmental impact
• Environmental impact
• Tools
• Environmental quality
• Sustainable building assessment

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