Annex A
NHBC'S ENVIRONMENTAL
AND SUSTAINABILITY
INVOLVEMENT
1. EcoHomes
NHBC sponsored the recent new BRE EcoHomes Environmental
Rating Scheme and associated Green Guide to Housing Specification.
It covers all the elements of the building, energy, transportation,
pollution, materials, water, ecology, land use, and health and
wellbeing.
EcoHomes is designed to be developed continuously
as understanding of the issues grows.
The Housing Corporation now requires EcoHomes
ratings as a norm.
NHBC is a registered assessor under the scheme,
providing Environmental Ratings and supporting a wide cross-section
of the Industry with advice.
2. Sustainability in Residential Landscapes
NHBC is sponsoring a PhD study in the University
of Sheffield which has the potential to expand EcoHomes.
3. Home Energy Ratings
NHBC worked closely with NEF (National Energy
Foundation) at the inception of the Home Energy Rating Scheme
and NHBC now runs a successful national energy rating programme.
4. Contaminated land
NHBC sets standards, and provides insurance
cover, for contaminated land reuse.
NHBC is also contributing to the SITA Environmental
Trust project—a Contaminated Land Web for the Construction
Industry.
5. Waste Management
NHBC is involved in the work on a Single Regeneration
Permit, aimed at simplifying legislation and the waste management
process, with organisations including the former British Gas,
ODPM and the Environment Agency.
6. Conversions Warranty
NHBC Conversions Standards, Inspection and Insurance
encourage the reuse of existing buildings, and the sensible retention
and upgrading of elements, by making them mortgageable.
7. Climate Change
NHBC supports and is involved in several projects
about climate change and adaptability in the industry, including
with SPRU, CIRIA and others.
8. SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems)
NHBC is involved in and funds several projects
on natural drainage systems that utilise the landscape (SUDS),
including three with CIRIA (Design; Guidance; and Good Practice).
We also contribute to a further CIRIA project
on Sustainable Water Management in Land Use Planning.
9. Flooding
NHBC jointly sponsored DTLR's "Preparing
for Floods" document and sat on the Steering Group.
NHBC also jointly sponsored the CIRIA document
"Repair of Buildings following Flooding" and sat on
the Steering Group.
10. Europe
By providing the Technical Secretariat to the
UEPC (European Union of House-Builders), and in other ways such
as through AEHWO, FOCOPE (Forum in the European Parliament for
Construction), NHBC is influencing European Directives and legislation
on a range of relevant issues including sustainability.
May 2004
| 
