The Inclusion of a Sustainability Awareness Indicator in Assessment Tools for High School Buildings

Abstract

The growing debate about global environmental problems is evident in several spheres of society. The concern for the future of the planet is used as a political slogan, inspiring the creation of new laws and encouraging academic research that serves this purpose, as well as increasing the number of government agencies concerned with this matter. The 21st century is considered the "century of sustainable development". Sustainability education in high schools has the potential to make the benefits of civil construction more visible to society and media by showing students, parents, and communities in general how sustainability in the built environment can improve their lives in economic, social, and environmental aspects. This study was applied in three high schools of Juiz de Fora (Brazil) and Guimarães (Portugal). These high schools have similar characteristics regarding teaching patterns and commitment to strengthening sustainability in their respective regions and reflect their socio-economic conditions, governmental strategies, everyday habits, and cultural attributes. The information was collected through questionnaires applied to high school students in 2017. This paper shows the need for including an indicator of sustainability awareness in sustainability assessment tools for high school buildings.

Verification of the Adequacy of the Portuguese Sustainability Assessment Tool of High School Buildings, SAHSBPT, to the Francisco de Holanda High School, Guimarães

“…It must be noted that, although the standards of construction and reform are established by the EPE, to know the result achieved by each particular school, the global methodology [14,22] must be applied to each school, which includes the application of the questionnaires to the students, the measurement of key indicators and the consultation of the school management reports, taking also into account the climate context, the type of construction as well as the urban context. These results demonstrated that more than 82% of the categories achieved a level of at least category B, demonstrating that the Empresa Parque Escolar is achieving its objectives related to the habitability and environmental comfort conditions (air and thermic quality) and accessibility, to modernize equipment and safety, besides guaranteeing energy efficiency and the flexibility and adaptability of the school buildings.…”

“…Energy efficiency is one of the major objectives of the Empresa Parque Escolar, seeking to "ensure the energy efficiency of buildings in order to reduce operating costs" [21]. According to the Regulatory Compliance Statement [14] of this school building, the total amount spent on energy is 18.61 Kgp/m 2 -year.…”

Adaptation of the SBTool for Sustainability Assessment of High School Buildings in Portugal—SAHSBPT

“…Other issues addressed are environmental practices in students' homes and how students believe environmental issues should be addressed in high schools. This indicator encourages awareness of sustainability among students and promotes positive attitudes towards sustainability in the students' daily lives [24]. This is a new indicator developed for the SAHSB PT methodology.…”

Sustentabilidad y acumulación de capital: disyuntivas geopolíticas ante la crisis ambiental mundializada

“…Ante la serie de incertidumbres generadas por la pandemia del COVID-19, el proceso de construcción de alternativas para hacer que el siglo XXI se encamine hacia la sustentabilidad (Saraiva et al, 2019) se ha visto complicado, más no cancelado. La coyuntura de la pandemia y de la "nueva normalidad" que se deriva de ésta (Pinazo-Hernandis, 2020), ha representado la complicación y reactualización de viejos problemas sociales tanto de índole ecológica, económica, sanitaria y política.…”