13th Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors Congress (PAQS 2009)

91
WHAT DOES QS MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL
REQUIREMENTS?
Takayoshi Sato
Sato Facilities Consultants, Inc
sato@fc-net.co.jp
ABSTRACT
Currently there are billions of tones of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were discharged in the
world, and there are increasingly recognized that a large amount of greenhouse gas is emitted
throughout buildings. Certain countries have now imposed new environmental protection
requirements for their regulations on the carbon emissions from the building use, and therefore,
building owners are now facing the necessity to take immediate actions for their buildings to be
environmentally friendly. However, facing the current economical recession, building owners are
very anxious to get a sound advice on optimal solutions for their buildings and therefore, among
these building owners, it is becoming the significant common issue about how to achieve the
environmental requirements, under the limited budget. Under such business circumstances, in
order to achieve the targeted environmental requirements level and also to maximize the
environmental investment of value for money, it is absolutely indispensable to have sufficient
study, at both designing and operational process, to apply strategic environmental cost
management. In this paper, the way is described how QS professional makes contribution on the
perspective of Environmental Business Requirement to the building owner.
Keywords: environmental requirements, sustainability, quantity surveyors services, life cycle cost
planning , carbon dioxide emission
1. INTRODUCTION
Environmental problems are global issues in these days. With current expansion of human
activities in the world, a large amount of greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere cause global
warming. Among them, it is generally known that Carbon dioxide (CO2) account for 95% of overall
emission of greenhouse gas.
The world set the concrete goal against the global warming to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions according to the Kyoto Protocol, and now there are issues of regulation on businesses.
When considering environmental problems and sustainability, it is a major factor to preserve good
relationship with society, to pursue an effective approach to environmental conservation and to target
the economic development. In other words, it is the concept to achieve a good balance between
environment and economy.
We believe that QS ought to be able to make valuable contributions for such an environmental
market.
2. CURRENT CONDITION OF THE EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES
In 2006, according to the sector based on the statistical data for carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emission,
about more than 10 billion tones of CO2 emissions were discharged from the Asian countries as a
whole, among them, about 1.2 billion tones of CO2 emissions from Japan, and a large amount of
greenhouse gas is emitted from building use. Based on the current statistical data in Japan, the rate of
increase of CO2 emissions from business use (mostly office buildings) is significantly high, 39.5%
increase, followed by household use with 30.0% increase. Therefore, attention is particularly focused
on trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from business (office) use buildings.
13th Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors Congress (PAQS 2009)
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3. BUILDING OWNERS COMMON CONCERNS
In order to reduce carbon dioxide emission, the Japanese Government has now imposed a new
regulation on CO2 emission to building owners to improve energy efficiency for office building use
and it is announced that schemes in the program should reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15 %.
Due to the rapid progress for regulations as well as increasing social needs to the corporations, such as
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on environmental requirements, there are many building
owners and corporations who are facing the necessity to take immediate actions, for environmental
protection for their buildings.
However, it is generally known in Japan that around 5 ~6 % of additional cost are needed to the
building owner to meet a required CO2 emission level (Reduction of 15 % for CO2 emission).
4. REQUIREMENTS TO BUILDING OWNERS
Now, at the same time, building owners are facing the current economical recession, they are
very worried about the additional costs to satisfy requirement for the environment level of their
buildings imposed by regulations. In addition to the above, there are other issues for the owners to
have to take into account for carbon trading control as well as an environmental tax, which may also
affect their building operation management costs, should be coming to effect fairly soon.
Therefore, they seriously require the professional advice on optimal solutions for their building
management and among these building owners, it is becoming the significant common issue about
how to achieve the environmental requirements, under the limited budget.
Under such business circumstances, in order to achieve the targeted environmental requirements
level and maximize the environmental investment value, it is absolutely indispensable for building
owner to have sufficient advice, at both designing as well as operational stages, to apply strategic
environmental management planning.
5. POTENTIALITY OF QS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
As we all know, it is areas with high potential demand for QS that is the global environment
conservation management services, such as effective utilization of limited resources, carbon dioxide
suppression, and optimization of energy etc.
As Quantity Surveyors who have equipped to deal with the clients cost, QS mission is to deliver
Value for Money (VFM) to the clients. The greater VFM QS produce, the greater customer
satisfaction. In terms of this perspective, only our traditional services, such as measure and value
Sources : Ministry of Environment
Transition of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission at Sector basis
Industry (Plant, etc)
Transportation (Cars, Ships, etc)
Business Use
(Office buildings, etc)
Household Use
Energy conversion
Year
of
1990
Year
of
2006
Increase /
Decrease
rate
Rate of
reduction
to target
Target
to
2010
Unit : Million ton CO2
Unit : Million ton CO2
Sources : Ministry of Environment
Transition of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission at Sector basis
Industry (Plant, etc)
Transportation (Cars, Ships, etc)
Business Use
(Office buildings, etc)
Household Use
Energy conversion
Industry (Plant, etc)
Transportation (Cars, Ships, etc)
Business Use
(Office buildings, etc)
Household Use
Energy conversion
Year
of
1990
Year
of
2006
Increase /
Decrease
rate
Rate of
reduction
to target
Target
to
2010
Year
of
1990
Year
of
2006
Increase /
Decrease
rate
Rate of
reduction
to target
Target
to
2010
Unit : Million ton CO2
Unit : Million ton CO2
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13th Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors Congress (PAQS 2009)
93
works, are not sufficient for the building owners who are looking for the valuable environmental
management advice as stated as above.
To enhance as well as to get customer satisfaction, QS may be able not only to assess its costs,
but also to value the project risk and advice clients how to manage it.
And there should be many potential services opportunities lay for QS with current environmental
requirements.
Therefore, QS should be able to demonstrate and to extend his cost management skills to the
following environmental business management services area:-
5.1 Assessment of the sustainability of building
Under the global situation where placing priority on environment, it is increasing demand to
emphasize on implementing the sustainable construction project corresponding the environmental
issues. In business, as well as environmental view point from the society, economic efficiency and
CSR are important. Quantity Surveyors, who are construction cost consultants, are supposed to be
capable of assessing a sustainable building that requires various levels of green values and
environmental performances when designing, constructing and use of a building.
5.2 Reduction of environmental loads throughout buildings life-cycle
In the process of a project, the target of QS services is to improve environmental performance and to
reduce environmental loads at design study stage considering its building use after the completion.
And also QS services have to aim decrease environmental loads during construction stage too, such as
reducing waste materials on sites.
5.3 Adding value through sustainable investment
It is not only providing environmental solutions, but also there would be significant impact on cost of
capitals and operations, and therefore building owner requires what benefits they can attain through
sustainable building investment. It is the merits that QS services would be providing the
comprehensive advices and optimal solutions for owners by utilizing the Cost / Benefits approach for
sustainable investment.
6. APPLICATION OF QS SKILLS
To fulfill a role appropriate to the needs of the above environmental requirement, making good use of
our expertise and management skill that acquired from the experience and performance as Quantity
Surveyors, we ought to be able to provide the comprehensive and creative professional services.
Now, in order to enhance our professional role to the environmental market, we need to look into
following three area in more detail manner;-
6.1 Assessment for the standard of buildings environmental sustainability
To make the effective cost performance when addressing environmental issues, it is important to
study energy conservation and to achieve sustainability of building. It is therefore defined
performance target should be established from the beginning of design stage. In particularly, building
owners are very interested in the cost for them to bear for the sake of meeting environmental
requirements, and the benefit they can attain through the sustainable building as the result. It is clear
that professional skills competent for environmental assessment study during the design stage are
ideally suited to QS. For design decisions on sustainable building, a cost perspective is absolute
essential too.
Environmental Approach at Design Phase
Design for Environment (DfE) is the method including a consideration for the environment in the
design. Sometimes it refers to the evaluation tool itself which is systematically evaluating how much
the design is with the environmental consciousness. It is generally called eco-design or green design.
These environmental assessment items are to be studied and adopted design can drastically reduce
the harmful impact of buildings on the environment. Therefore, careful, creative design/planning will
also produce a more comfortable, healthy work place for building occupants. The selection of correct
materials will have influence on sustainability and more environmentally friendly design.
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6.2 Quantification of LCCO2
In the schematic design stage of the project, Life cycle environmental load of the buildings is
quantified by LCCO2 (Life Cycle Assessment of Carbon Dioxide), and energy consumption accounts
for a huge percentage of loads at the stage of building operation. Economic effects from LCC (Life
Cycle Costs) study are significant and its reduction has been the goal since the early design stage.
Reduce the building environmental load at design stage
To reduce the environmental loads of office building throughout its life cycle, the following
environmental consideration should be given at design stage to the design team in order to make
effective reduction of the environmental loading of buildings.:-
Energy conservation (Energy used for Electrical & Air-conditioning systems)
1. Longer operating life (Long-lived building/equipment, consideration for proper use)
2. Natural resources saving / eco-material (use of recycled resource, minimize the usage of
materials, etc.)
3. Decrease in wasted materials (recycling, minimize the usage of materials, etc.)
4. Co-existence with regional environment (co-existence with nature)
QS should be able to study the above items from the cost performance aspect. For example, general
procedure of environmental study is to make an assessment to the design from a technical standpoint
as well as from an economical standpoint.
6.3 Cost-benefit analysis in green building systems
It is important for the building owner that the building should optimize the balance among
maximizing benefits, such as attain the higher rating of green building system ( e.g. CASBEE,
BREEAM, LEED, etc.,), reduction of energy operation costs, avoidance of the future incurred risk
costs (carbon trading , environmental tax), improving the tenant fee level with better comfort of
Construction Stage Use Stage Demolition Stage
CO2 Emission
Construction CO2
Material Production CO2 +
Enegy use CO2
Material Production
for renovation CO2
+
Demoli tion CO2
Disposal & Transport
of scrap material CO2
CO2 Emissions during Building Life
Construction Stage Use Stage Demolition Stage
CO2 Emission
Construction CO2
Material Production CO2 +
Enegy use CO2
Material Production
for renovation CO2
+
Demoli tion CO2
Disposal & Transport
of scrap material CO2
Construction Stage Use Stage Demolition Stage
CO2 Emission
Construction CO2
Material Production CO2 +
Enegy use CO2
Material Production
for renovation CO2
+
Demoli tion CO2
Disposal & Transport
of scrap material CO2
CO2 Emissions during Building Life
Maximize Value for Money Through Environmental Investment
Attain Benefits
Additional cost
to improve
Environmental
issues
(Added Value Improvement)
Avoidance of future incurred rids costs
(Carbon trading, environmental tax)
Better comfort of working places
Contribution of companys image up
Higher rating of Green buildings
Asset value increase
Social Needs to Environmental
Issues
Energy (water, etc) Electricity,
Running Cost Reduction
Depreciation loads Reduction
(due to Longer life of Building
Tenant Fee level improvement
Maximize Value for Money Through Environmental Investment
Attain Benefits
Additional cost
to improve
Environmental
issues
(Added Value Improvement)
Avoidance of future incurred rids costs
(Carbon trading, environmental tax)
Better comfort of working places
Contribution of companys image up
Higher rating of Green buildings
Asset value increase
Social Needs to Environmental
Issues
Energy (water, etc) Electricity,
Running Cost Reduction
Depreciation loads Reduction
(due to Longer life of Building
Tenant Fee level improvement
13th Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors Congress (PAQS 2009)
95
working place and also contribution to companys image up, and at the same time, it should also be
minimizing the cost of environmental investment.
To make a precise assessment of these factors, QS has an opportunity to provide the services of
carrying out Cost -Benefit studies.
We believe that QS should be able to report to their clients about these relevant environmental
issues and to ensure that they are given adequate consideration in the decision making process.
The followings are more specific area for adding value to QS services.
- Value added to the clients business
- Identify the proper balance between project cost and its value, in order to maximize clients
benefit
- Investment appraisal and life cycle costing
- More quantitative assessment services, such as analysis of environmental impact, building
quality, etc.
7. CONCLUSIONS
Including reduction of greenhouse gases, I believe QS has high potentiality to contribute to
environmental issues.
As the professional, our ability and approach to buildings is not only providing economical
efficiency and benefits to our clients, but also leading to the meaningful social contribution.
Now is the time for us to look at the environmental issues proactively, and to undertake a major
role to contribute society as well as clients, by expanding our professional domain to advance
effective utilization of limited resources, suppression of carbon dioxide, optimization of energy etc.
It makes the degree of contribution to society and our professional value increase, and it is
assured to raise the profile of QS.
REFERENCES
Ministry of Environment (2008) An Environment white paper: Japan
Environmental consideration Real property Green Buildings Case Study (2008): Japan PMJ
Cyril Sweet (2005) Sustainability costs, London : Building
Japan Architectural Institutes (2007) Towards the Architecture for a Global Environment: Japan,
Shokoku-sha