Certify your buildings to get ahead of your green goals

Having an environmentally friendly building is the newest trend, following electric cars, travel cups, and bamboo underwear. But how can you really show yourself as making a difference in the property industry?

Certify your building

There are a number of different awarding bodies that you can apply to.

BREEAM

• • The world leader in the sustainable built environment, BREEAM has quite literally set the standard for sustainability – be that ESG, health, or net zero goals – by operating since 1921.
  • The brand is practiced in 77 countries around the world.
  • Assessors are licensed to assess and accredit projects, meaning the process to a BREEAM-approved home is so much easier than applying to a faceless corporation.
  • They specialise in many different verifications, such as heat pump, wind load and natural light – as well as ISO accreditation too.

Green Mark

• • • Younger than a lot of its competitors, Green Mark evaluates an organisation’s environmental impact as well as its building’s performance.
    • Green Mark is scalable – so if you have a portfolio of offices, you can create a sustainable culture instead of just one standalone example.
    • It’s based on a subscription model, so you can be assured that you are continuing to make good choices that are monitored on an evolving spectrum.

LEED

• • • • LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a points-based rating system that endeavours to reduce contributions to climate change through a holistic approach
      • Instead of assessment, LEED base their verification on data that is processed by the United States Green Building Council.
      • Although simpler than some in its approach, LEED is a non-profit organisation and cheaper than organisations such as BREEAM because of this.
      • Even though developed in the USA, LEED is well-received in a number of countries.

NABERS

• • An Australian brand, NABERS is fast-becoming an industry favourite due to its similarity to BREEAM, but its modern approach to offices.
  • Their two products, Design for Performance and Energy for Offices, focus on designing offices for NABERs accreditation and measuring the performances of offices based on energy consumption – respectively.
  • Data-driven and collaborative, this option is for the more modern office.

Passivehaus

• • German in design, Passivhaus tries to deliver lower-costing property through encouraging energy-saving practices.
  • This standard is available to all buildings, be that commercial, residential, industrial or other.
  • Retrofits are not compatible with Passivhaus’ holistic approach but those properties are recommended to apply for EnerPHit, which applies Passivhaus’ ideals onto buildings that incorporate existing architecture or need more relaxed conservation rules.

WELL

• • Focused on building ‘health’, the WELL standard concentrates on the welfare of a property’s occupants and draws inspiration from a diverse range of partners and contributors
  • The three rating systems on which you can apply to be assessed reflect WELL’s philosophies: Health-Safety, Performance, and Equity.
  • WELL awards design that enhances working conditions, and supports companies to improve their properties through evidence-based strategies.

Certify yourself

Joining a professional body will not only give you a level of credibility but will also contribute to your home being seen as a sustainable entity.

IEMA

• • For practitioners only, the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment aims to arm people in the environment and sustainability industries with the tools and contacts to continue improving standards in all sectors.
  • IEMA contributes to policy-making and launches reports that contribute to building awareness of topics such as climate change, energy conservation, and the circular economy.

B Corps

• • One of the more well-known sustainability standards, B Corp is a surefire way to label yourself as a professional or an organisation that cares about the future.
  • ESG (environmental and social governance) characterises B Corp’s standards, but the qualification goes towards the sum of a company’s worth.

ICRS

• • The Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability offers membership to individuals and organisations, and with that provides training and resources to improve members’ own resources for their occupants and employees.
  • Through events and networking opportunities, ICRS connects like-minded people to help each other achieve their ESG goals

The avenues you can take to become a greener property owner are vast and varied! If you would like to discuss more in depth as to how you can improve your assets, speak to a member of Eddisons today.