A new year - a new sustainability checklist…

::via Green Building Press
The EA (Environment Agency) have published a guide for developers (pdf, 90 pages):

‘practical advice on making developments better for people and the environment… how you can save time and money by contacting us from the very start of your project.’

The EA guide concentrates on issues outside the building - from the building envelope to the site boundary. It has more than a passing resemblance to BREEAM with issues broken down in very similar categories.

EA BREEAM
Managing the risk of flooding Pollution
Managing surface water Pollution
Using water wisely Water
Wildlife and green space Ecology
Preventing pollution Pollution
Managing waste Pollution
Land affected by contamination Pollution
Sustainable construction Management, Health and wellbeing, Transport, Energy Use, Materials
Recreation, society and health Health and wellbeing

I would recommend it to those of us who have come to sustainability via the buildings route rather than an environmental engineering route (seems to be the main two camps I have come across in the land of BREEAM).

One question arises as a result of this - are we in danger of getting bogged down by all this guidance or is the cumulative effect a good one? I can think of at least 3 other checklists or guidance documents which cover similar ground. Of course by covering similar issues in slightly different ways, the probability of implementation might increase, as what resonates with one person or team may be alien to another.

Other checklists which might be of interest:

Know of any others? Please feel free to leave a comment or email me and I’ll update this list.

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