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BREEAM: The Energy Efficiency Podcast – episode 12
BREEAM
Motorbike repair shop in The Gambia
Welcome to BREEAM: The Energy Efficiency Podcast – episode 12, the podcast that brings you a mix of energy efficiency news, products and tips all year round. We’re interested in profiling people and products involved in promoting energy efficiency habits, products and information, so please do get in touch if you have something to contribute.
This week: BREEAM – we often mention it, but what is it? The health benefits of energy efficiency, and mending household items – it’s new and cool but some of us have been doing it for years.
Circular economy
But before we get on with our advertised features, last week the Guardian reported on a business complex in Rotterdam housing 30 businesses. Nothing new in that you might think, but BlueCity brings all the businesses together to trial a circular economy. The principle of the circular economy is that nothing is wasted, ie that materials remain in use for as long as possible and use of new raw materials is minimised.
The Netherlands has in place a government-wide programme aimed at developing a circular economy in the Netherlands by 2050. If you so wish there’s a 72 page PDF on this, in English, that you can download from the Dutch government website – link in the show notes. The plan is to halve raw material use by 2030, and Rotterdam wants to be in the vanguard of this. Rotterdam is a port city which has led to it becoming an emissions hotspot and consumer of significant quantities of raw materials.
SMEs
Tropicana’s “giant greenhouse”
Interestingly, the Dutch government has identified SMEs as crucial to the success of the circular strategy programme. They make a big contribution to Rotterdam’s economy and so can lead in changing business habits. Rotterdam is conducting a four year pilot project, in which sites such as BlueCity will be central. The building is a disused Center Parcs venue named Tropicana. Businesses moving in represented a shift from circular economy planning to doing.
Renovation of the building isn’t complete but new parts are opening. In the basement worms compost all organic waste. Reuse of a derelict building sets BlueCity apart from other projects globally, although the Dutch do seem to have a flair for reusing old sites. BlueCity’s unique setting, in a redeveloped holiday centre, has attracted the sort of attention that means it can be 90% self-funded. However some involved fear that Blue City will become more of a tourist attraction than a catalyst for wider change. To counteract this Blue City is connecting entrepreneurs with corporates who want help with waste solutions. It runs events, including debates, to deliver practical advice.
The concerns about becoming a tourist attraction instead of a game changer are understandable, but at this stage we still seem to need colourful projects to bring home what can be achieved. Only when sustainability behaviour excites no attention whatsoever but is part of the furniture will we really have succeeded.
BREEAM
We’ve mentioned BREEAM a few times now in the context of buildings that have achieved high BREEAM ratings. Nothing to do with fish, BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It’s a scientifically-based method developed by the Buildings Research Council (BRE) that assesses, rates and certifies the sustainability of buildings. It began in 1990 and in the last almost 30 years over half a million certificates have been issued in 83 countries.
BREEAM categories evaluate energy and water use, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes. A building can be rated Acceptable (In-use scheme only), Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding. Crucially a good BREEAM rating provides market recognition of a building’s sustainability.
Expansion
BREEAM started out assessing new office buildings. This expand
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By The Energy Efficiency PodcastBREEAM
Motorbike repair shop in The Gambia
Welcome to BREEAM: The Energy Efficiency Podcast – episode 12, the podcast that brings you a mix of energy efficiency news, products and tips all year round. We’re interested in profiling people and products involved in promoting energy efficiency habits, products and information, so please do get in touch if you have something to contribute.
This week: BREEAM – we often mention it, but what is it? The health benefits of energy efficiency, and mending household items – it’s new and cool but some of us have been doing it for years.
Circular economy
But before we get on with our advertised features, last week the Guardian reported on a business complex in Rotterdam housing 30 businesses. Nothing new in that you might think, but BlueCity brings all the businesses together to trial a circular economy. The principle of the circular economy is that nothing is wasted, ie that materials remain in use for as long as possible and use of new raw materials is minimised.
The Netherlands has in place a government-wide programme aimed at developing a circular economy in the Netherlands by 2050. If you so wish there’s a 72 page PDF on this, in English, that you can download from the Dutch government website – link in the show notes. The plan is to halve raw material use by 2030, and Rotterdam wants to be in the vanguard of this. Rotterdam is a port city which has led to it becoming an emissions hotspot and consumer of significant quantities of raw materials.
SMEs
Tropicana’s “giant greenhouse”
Interestingly, the Dutch government has identified SMEs as crucial to the success of the circular strategy programme. They make a big contribution to Rotterdam’s economy and so can lead in changing business habits. Rotterdam is conducting a four year pilot project, in which sites such as BlueCity will be central. The building is a disused Center Parcs venue named Tropicana. Businesses moving in represented a shift from circular economy planning to doing.
Renovation of the building isn’t complete but new parts are opening. In the basement worms compost all organic waste. Reuse of a derelict building sets BlueCity apart from other projects globally, although the Dutch do seem to have a flair for reusing old sites. BlueCity’s unique setting, in a redeveloped holiday centre, has attracted the sort of attention that means it can be 90% self-funded. However some involved fear that Blue City will become more of a tourist attraction than a catalyst for wider change. To counteract this Blue City is connecting entrepreneurs with corporates who want help with waste solutions. It runs events, including debates, to deliver practical advice.
The concerns about becoming a tourist attraction instead of a game changer are understandable, but at this stage we still seem to need colourful projects to bring home what can be achieved. Only when sustainability behaviour excites no attention whatsoever but is part of the furniture will we really have succeeded.
BREEAM
We’ve mentioned BREEAM a few times now in the context of buildings that have achieved high BREEAM ratings. Nothing to do with fish, BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It’s a scientifically-based method developed by the Buildings Research Council (BRE) that assesses, rates and certifies the sustainability of buildings. It began in 1990 and in the last almost 30 years over half a million certificates have been issued in 83 countries.
BREEAM categories evaluate energy and water use, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes. A building can be rated Acceptable (In-use scheme only), Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding. Crucially a good BREEAM rating provides market recognition of a building’s sustainability.
Expansion
BREEAM started out assessing new office buildings. This expand