A-177 Using the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method to maximise the Environmental Social Governance benefits of building a pathology hub laboratory
Authors: Cane P , Hughes L , Booth R , Hind L , Ellison T 
Published: October 2024

Background

Organisations focusing on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) factors do not just benefit society and the planet, they also enjoy better performance across key profitability metrics, driven by higher growth and productivity, lower operational costs and enhanced return on investment. SYNLAB’s new Synnovis Pathology Hub, built in partnership with the National Health Service (NHS), is a high-tech purpose-built laboratory building with construction completing in Spring 2024. It will serve more than 1.7 million people in the southeast London region delivering both routine and special diagnostics in support of a 15-year NHS pathology contract. The redevelopment of the site presented an opportunity to closely align SYNLAB company strategy with the delivery of its ESG ambitions, as well as achieve financial and operational sustainability.

Methods

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a standardised framework within which SYNLAB could collaborate with the building landlord and Hub delivery partners. BREEAM assessment categories are: energy, land use and ecology, water, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, materials, waste and management. Applying the intent of SYNLAB’s ESG strategy to the hub build programme, setting this expectation with stakeholders, and using BREEAM as a platform on which to track and report ESG benefits ensured ESG and related deliverables were high on the agenda to be captured and delivered.

Results

The hub is on track to achieve the BREEAM Excellent rating which means it will rank within the top 10% of commercial buildings in the UK in terms of ESG benefits. Contributors to this achievement include: Recycling over 85% of materials during construction, saving more than 500 tonnes of materials from going to waste; Incorporation of changing rooms and 56 cycle rack spaces to encourage healthy and sustainable travel, helping to keep London’s air clean and reduce CO2e emissions; An Energy Management System within the Building Management System providing detailed area by area analysis and control. Along with water metering per floor, this helps SYNLAB to understand usage and focus process improvements; An energy efficient air handling system, a key area of opportunity for laboratory energy efficiency; Conformity with EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities, for example by limiting the flow rate of water to prevent wastage; Reuse of materials within the building, for example by relocating seating, private call areas, glass walls; Reuse of materials externally through donations to charitable organisations, for example televisions and fridges were given to a local care home, improving the residents’ quality of life; Working with local schools and wider the community.

Conclusions

Incorporating BREEAM ESG criteria from the early stages of planning in construction projects provide a higher likelihood of stakeholder buy-in, adoption and delivery. Pathology networks are considered key in delivering the national ambitions set out within the Long-Term Plan for the NHS and there is increased government and social pressure driving healthcare businesses to adopt ESG. There is the opportunity within Pathology networking and Pathology new builds to harness these benefits from the outset and lay the long term foundations for ESG within healthcare for future sustainability.