Edinburgh Sustainable Buildings Code Sustainable Development in Edinburgh, Scotland

Sustainable Building Code

Introduction All new developments of more than 1000sqm in Edinburgh will be forced to cut CO2 emissions and provide 10% of their power through onsite renewable energy sources. This at last brings Scotland's capital into line with England's capital, and meets the Scottish Executive's Micro Renewables policy that we noted in Jul 2006 on this site: new housing and other developments should generate at least 10% of their energy on site from renewable sources. The Standards for Sustainable Buildings Code were developed by Edinburgh City Council planners. Obligations Affected developments will have to do the following:- - provide 10% of their power through onsite renewable energy sources - ensure that CO2 emissions from the construction of each scheme are at least 5% lower than the total predicted emissions from the lighting, heating and ventilation in the new development - complete an assessment form pledging to build environmentally-friendly developments that minimise pollution - ensure recycled building materials are used The last two requirements seem a bit woolly but probably will be defined in the detail The code will operate for planning submissions from May 2007 Affected developments: >1000sq m or >10units or >0.5 hectares Background UK government target to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010; by 60% by 2050. Scottish Executive target is to generate 40% of Scotland's electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and thus reduce harmful carbon emissions. City planning chief Trevor Davies said: "Our vision is for Edinburgh to be northern Europe's most successful and sustainable city region by 2015. The built environment has an important role to play in supporting this aspiration and this code will be a key tool to help encourage sustainable design in major new development and conversions, and will set a high standard for future developments in the city." Communities Minister, Rhona Brankin, said: "It's vital when planning new developments we do our utmost to minimise their impact on our environment. We all need to take responsibility for this and local authorities have a key role to play by promoting sustainable development in their area. Edinburgh has taken a major step towards this by setting these standards for sustainable buildings. The council's priority targets will go a long way to helping Scotland achieve its goal of generating 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020." We welcome your views on the Edinburgh Sustainable Buildings Code: info@edinburgharchitecture.co.uk Sustainable Architecture Edinburgh News : back to index