SURVEYING SUSTAINABLY THE SCSI’S NEW SUSTAINABILITY SUPPORT PANEL AIMS TO ASSIST MEMBERS IN REACHING THEIR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.
W
hat is the SCSI Sustainability Support Panel? The Sustainability Support Panel is a way for all SCSI members to get assistance from experienced volunteer professionals in order to reach their own sustainability goals. The
Panel is the brainchild of immediate past president Micheál Mahon. Micheál saw that there was a great opportunity for members to help each other in this fast-changing arena, and suggested that a support panel be set up to do just this!
What kinds of questions could I ask? Any question(s) can be posed, whether a simple “I’m at the very start of my sustainability journey and need help with my first step”, to more technical questions about understanding the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) accreditation currently available, such as GRESB, LEED, BREEAM and WELL. With Ireland having now committed in law to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 (51% front loaded by 2030), lots of members are naturally asking what steps they can take to play their part. Help with any related topic will be provided where possible, and this can also include biodiversity/nature-based questions – literally the birds and the bees! All questions asked and answers given will be published (anonymously) on the sustainability page of the SCSI’s website, and this will further help all, as it will form a useful reference tool moving forwards.
Who is on the Sustainability Support Panel? The Sustainability Support Panel is made up of fellow surveyors with practical experience in everything from retrofitting and practical environmental management processes in the office (such as ISO 14001:2015), to experience reflecting sustainability and climate change in property valuations.
Where are we now with sustainability? The SCSI declared a climate and biodiversity emergency in spring 2021, and support for this initiative has been huge, with 45 firms and many members signing up to support it, and pledging to follow simple initial steps including: ■ reducing our carbon footprint; ■ minimising waste generation; ■ mitigating risk of water pollution; ■ conserving water; and, ■ including biodiversity measures in our practices.
FEATURE Eloise Heron Chartered Valuation Surveyor and Sustainability Consultant, Chair, SCSI Sustainability Group
26
SURVEYORS JOURNAL Volume 11, Issue 3, Autumn 2021
