As we embark on 2018 it is always useful to ponder where we are heading to.An inherent challenge of sustainability implementation is that it entails numerous diverse sciences, issues and perspectives that need to come together in proportion and harmoniously co-exist. Indeed, it is about collaboration. However, collaboration is more of a tactic rather than a vision or mission.

For a vision or mission transcending statements help to reach to a definition. And it seems that sustainability has not managed yet to find its definition.

In everyday life we come across complacent or market based sustainability definitions. And these days many of the trivially used sustainability definitions are based on Health & Wellbeing (H&W). It is the sign of the times.

As if we were unaware, we recently discovered or realised that buildings and infrastructure are made for people and that we spend most of our time within buildings. Consequently, a revolution is underway in sustainability with H&W written on its flag. As if we have addressed all the numerous remaining sustainability issues, we deep dive into H&W, we market it (it is the easiest to communicate with great impact - since the apparent what’s in it for me factor hits 100%) and showcase the business and economic benefits.

Whilst H&W is fundamental, it is one part of issues that needs to be addressed simultaneously with all other sustainability issues. Not to mention that the latter issues, directly or indirectly, influence our internal cocoon microclimate through a non-immediately perceived interaction mechanism.

We had a similar case of a focusing trend some years ago. That of energy. Where energy buildings were synonymous to sustainable buildings or “green” buildings. Nowadays, a trend is developing where “healthy” buildings are “green” buildings or sustainable buildings. Inconsistency and confusion at its best.

We must remember though that real life and sustainability does not necessarily focus.

It seems that within the sustainability movement we have not managed yet to communicate effectively and boldly the priority or even better the pre-requisite of holistic approach. Truly it is a challenge, not immediately appealing and we experience the phenomenon where many stakeholders have the natural tendency to deconstruct sustainability and cherry pick the potentially profitable chunks (in economic and marketing terms).

Bottom line, what we have learned from the previous decade is that the mega focusing trend in energy neglected in proportion the Health and Wellbeing of humans. Consequently, what will be our reaction? Another decade of a mega focusing trend in Health & Wellbeing? In expense of what now?

And more importantly, given that resources are scarce how these will be allocated to cater for a truly sustainable outcome?
 
Best wishes for a Happy New Year!   

Pantelis Levantis

.Την 28η Σεπτεμβρίου 2017, η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή ανακοίνωσε την έναρξη μίας διετούς πιλοτικής αξιολόγησης των κτιρίων με την ονομασία Level(s).
Η εν λόγω αξιολόγηση υλοποιείται μέσα από ένα εθελοντικό πλαίσιο αναφορών με απώτερο σκοπό την βελτίωση της αειφορίας των κτιρίων στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Στην αξιολόγηση μπορούν να συμμετάσχουν εταιρείες, δημόσιοι φορείς κλπ.
Στο πλαίσιο των αναφορών εμπεριέχονται για πρώτη φορά σε Ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο οι παρακάτω δείκτες:

•       Εκπομπές αερίων του θερμοκηπίου καθ’ όλη την διάρκεια του Κύκλου Ζωής των κτιρίων
•       Αποδοτική χρήση φυσικών πόρων και Κύκλος Ζωής Υλικών
•       Αποδοτική χρήση Υδάτινων πόρων
•       Υγεία και άνεση στους κτιριακούς χώρους
•       Προσαρμογή και ανθεκτικότητα στην Κλιματική Αλλαγή
•       Κόστος Κύκλου Ζωής και αξίας.

Κάθε δείκτης μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για διαφορετικούς τύπους αξιολόγησης. Από ένα αρχικό / βασικό επίπεδο μέχρι μία ολοκληρωμένη αξιολόγηση Κύκλου Ζωής.
Ο συνδυασμός των ανωτέρω δεικτών, και κυρίως οι τομείς που αντιπροσωπεύουν, χαρακτηρίζουν το πρώτο θεσμικό βήμα για την Ευρώπη προς μία αξιολόγηση της αειφορίας στον κτιριακό τομέα.
Είναι εύλογο να θεωρήσουμε την έναρξη αυτής της αξιολόγησης Level(s) ως ένα πιθανό προπομπό για την εγκαθίδρυση ενός Ευρωπαϊκού νομοθετικού πλαισίου για την αξιολόγηση της αειφορίας στον κτιριακό τομέα. Και αυτό πέραν της υφιστάμενης, σημαντικής μεν, αλλά μονοδιάστατης αξιολόγησης της ενεργειακής απόδοσης.
Τα Green Building Councils του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικτύου (European Regional Network) αποτελέσαν σημαντικούς συντελεστές στην μακρόχρονη διαβούλευση και δημιουργία των Level(s). Περαιτέρω είναι επιφορτισμένα να διαδώσουν, στηρίξουν και προωθήσουν την εν λόγω αξιολόγηση σε όλη την Ευρώπη.
Έτσι και το SBC GREECE, με κύριο γνώρισμά του την αναγνώριση της πολυδιάστατης φύσης της αειφορίας, στηρίζει και προωθεί την αξιολόγηση Level(s).
Σας προτρέπω λοιπόν να ενημερωθείτε περαιτέρω για την αξιολόγηση Level(s) εδώ http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/buildings.htm και να εκδηλώσετε το ενδιαφέρον σας για συμμετοχή (στον ίδιο σύνδεσμο).

Παντελής Λεβαντής

Most of the building sustainability professionals worldwide would agree that currently the focus is on Health & Wellbeing. It is the next trend or fad that is going to prevail probably for the next 5 years to come. It makes good business sense when related to productivity, absenteeism etc., easily grasped by everybody (what's in it for me) and if managed to be measured and create KPI's it looks more promising in economic terms than energy saving and management.

Nevertheless, if one tries to form a more generic and transcending definition for a building, possibly he will end up with "a structure that satisfies human's accommodating needs". Within this context, it is strange how the majority of the green building / sustainability movement (with a few notable exceptions) in the last 20 years did not address, until now, boldly the Health & Wellbeing issue.

It is interesting to observe how opinion leaders, institutions, global influencers etc. in the last 2 years heavily quote and promote the significance of Health & Wellbeing. Why all this buzz and fuss now, after 20 years of buzz for the environment, climatic change, energy saving and management?

Within this developing trend/focus an important integrated approach issue arises within the so called "green" movement/momentum. The green movement addresses issues of resource scarcity, climatic change, energy efficiency and management. But also in marketing terms it is not necessarily associated with human Health & Wellbeing. As a consequence, there it is as an "add on", Health and Wellbeing joining the "green movement".

Whilst undoubtedly climatic change poses a significant threat, soon enough, if not already, the baptised "green movement" will prove insufficient to embrace the world wide focusing trend on Health & Wellbeing which will probably consume resources in expense of others needed to maintain balance (sustainability).

What could realy be needed is a real-life balance practice, within the context of available resources, in order to maintain a sustainable status. This status could address resource scarcity and climatic impact mitigation and energy efficiency and human Health & Wellbeing and pollution mitigation and..... and..... That is it. Welcome to real life. If we find this increasingly complex (especially in business or awareness terms) ... well this is what is real life about. Simplifications (to be appealing and easier to apply) will not necessarily work the problem.

I wish the whole building industry, academia, institutions and professionals agree to a definition for sustainability in the built environment and communicate it boldly. Furthermore, I wish everybody to realise that sustainability is about getting the balance right within a context of limited resources where fads and focuses could undermine the fundamental holistic approach of sustainability.
Can we make the latter our number one (fundamental) priority?

Pantelis Levantis