Internet update

Citation

Almond, N. (2005), "Internet update", Property Management, Vol. 23 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.2005.11323bag.001

Internet update

This time round I was fortunate to enjoy a white Christmas in the Lake District. Three weeks on following rain and gales the environment was different. The supermarket, whose car park was bustling with activity on Christmas Eve was deserted and resembled a boating lake. Many homes were flooded, as were commercial premises. Such events are now happening on a regular basis reflecting the growing impact of global warming on our environment.

Now the confession. Like many, I must plead ignorance when it comes to the environment. Sure, I try and do my bit – recycle what I can, use appliances which consume low energy – but is it enough? Probably not. The same is no doubt true for many, and even worse in the office environment. How many times do we see lights continually on in deserted offices at night? How much damage do we consider the air conditioning units does to the environment – very little I guess? Of course, such factors, directly or indirectly are damaging our planet.

In what has been my first real foray into the issue of the environment I have been surprised by the enormity of the subject, so by my own admission, this editorial is by no means exhaustive. In the little space available, I hope to highlight a number of web sites that cover the subject, particularly from a property perspective which I hope will serve as a place for reflection and the start of action.

In the light of recent floods, the starting point for many, especially homeowners, but also business will be the Environment Agency's web site (www.environment-agency.gov.uk). As their introductory statements point out, they are responsible for issues such as flood defence, pollution control and town planning. Throughout the site are a number of publications. One covers protecting your home from groundwater flooding, providing details on where to gain help and some preventative measures that may reduce the risk of flooding in your home.

From the homepage you can enter your postcode to check for flood risk – luckily mine showed nothing, though this was of little surprise as I live towards the top of a hill, with no rivers in the immediate vicinity. As a further check, I looked up Pontypridd in South Wales – I knew from my days at University that the town had been flooded. As expected the map revealed areas of flooding and that of extreme floods. There were also markings indicating flood defences in the area – certainly a valuable tool for anyone moving home or even seeking business premises.

Of course, flooding is an effect of our changing environment and global warming. Of greater importance is understanding what can be done to reduce the damage we do to our environment. In this respect, the Building Research Establishment (www.bre.co.uk) has a valuable web site and detailed information on regulations and what can be done to improve the energy efficiency and levels of emissions from buildings – be they residential or commercial.

My initial starting point on this web site was to look at the “a-z of services”. Here there are numerous subject areas which deal with the environment, however, the clever use of hyperlinks means that you can easily skip to related subject areas. For example, I took a link to the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) which provided links to topics on “Energy” and “Sustainability”. There are also links to more specific pages on BREEAM (which covers commercial buildings) and EcoHomes (for residential dwellings).

BREEAM, as the web site states, is the world's most widely used means of reviewing and improving the environmental performance of buildings, since its launch in 1990. It assesses a building's performance based on factors including energy use (operational and carbon dioxide issues), pollution, transport (including transport related carbon dioxide and locational factors), land use and ecology. Buildings are awarded credits in each area depending on its performance which are combined to create a single rating. Details on different property types and how a building can be assessed, or improvements that can be made are detailed on the site.

The residential equivalent, EcoHomes are based on a similar criteria to commercial buildings, with optional aspects to ensure that the system is tailored to a particular development or market. For schemes to be scored documentary evidence is required for various factors, to ensure that the measurements are accurate. Besides specific books on the subject area, a number of freely available pdf files are available including guidance sheets and pre-assessment checklists.

Having read that air conditioning units can be harmful to the environment, I chose this link from the a-z of services, which provided further links on performance and climate simulation. There was also a leaflet highlighting current EU regulations and how these impact the maintenance and servicing routines where chillers may use CFC or HFC refrigerants. Contact points are available for those seeking information on suitable systems and the use of alternatives – such as natural ventilation.

Near to the BRE is the first historical building that has been refurbished as a zero-emissions commercial development. Many may know of its presence – the wind turbine that is part of the scheme is visible from the M25. The building is the home to Renewable Energy Systems Ltd (www.res-ltd.com) who specialise in wind farms. According to their web site, the building is “entirely energy-self sufficient and produces zero carbon dioxide emissions ... the building's energy and cooling is produces on-site through a wind turbine, solar panels generate heat and electricity”. Of course, such technology may not be suitable for all environments, especially our town and cities, it is a starting point, and a case study for what can be achieved.

From an investment perspective, Prudential have been noted for their increased attention to corporate responsibility. Prudential Property Investment Management (PRUPIM) have a specific section on their web site (www.prupim.com). Taking the Corporate Responsibility link, and then the Environment, details are provided on how they are taking steps to improve the environmental assessment of their buildings and shopping centres, including a joint venture with the Carbon Trust.

The Carbon Trust (www.thecarbontrust.co.uk) is a Government funded independent company that helps both business and the public sector to cut carbon emissions. The web site has a host of information on climate change and its causes. The site also highlights measures that are being taken to cut emissions, both at a Global level, in Europe and in the UK, where under the Kyoto agreement the UK is to “cut greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% by 2008-12 against a base year of 1990”. This section of the site provides links to the Government's White Paper on the environment, and to its climate change programme (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange). Beyond this information, there is more specific leaflets available covering different business sectors, on ways of improving the environmental performance of a building – these are available free of charge once you have registered some details on the site.

The issue of the environment and its impact on performance and how we measure environment issues is rising up the agenda. By the time this is published, Kingston University will have published findings of their initial research in this area. The University as a whole is covering a number of issues on the environment, which can be found on their web site (www.kingston.ac.uk/environment/sustainability.htm).

At a broader level, King Sturge (www.kingsturge.com) has recently produced a comprehensive report “Property Sustainability Matters – caveat emptor” which covers a multitude of legislation, regulations and directives in so far as they impact on property. It is by no means a light read, and covers a multitude of topics including planning guidance, European directives and Building Regulations.

In the short space of time I have spent on this topic I have learnt fair amount, and realise the depth of literature that surrounds the subject. I hope as a starting point it does some justice to the subject, though welcome as always feedback on details of other worthy sites, for I can see this topic remaining in the spotlight for the foreseeable future.

Nigel AlmondSenior Researcher, Jones Lang LaSalle E-mail: nigel.almond@eu.jll.com

The view expressed are those of the author and not those of Jones Lang LaSalle.