Environmental Policy

It is the policy of Technology Business Centres to manage its environmental responsibilities in accordance with the following principles:

Management

Technology Business Centres recognises that sensitive management of the environment is an essential part of its activities, whether in land acquisition, the development of property, or the ownership and management of buildings.

Responsibility

A specified Board member of Technology Business Centres is charged with the overall responsibility for environmental affairs within the Company, including the development of specific action plans to implement progressively the provisions of this policy.

Communications

Corporate environmental performance is increasingly a matter of interest to many groups: clients, statutory bodies, employees, investors, contractors, suppliers, public, media.

• Technology Business Centres recognises the legitimate interest that others have in its performance and will communicate openly about its environmental policies and practice.

• Technology Business Centres will inform its clients, partners, licensees, employees, consultants, advisors, contractors and suppliers of its commitment to environmental performance and sustainable development.

• Technology Business Centres will share experience on environmental issues within the Property and Business Services sector, and with other companies through relevant participation in industry groups.

• The environmental policies adopted by Technology Business Centres will form part of the management procedure used to control development projects and the operation of its Business Centres.

Project Assessment

The potentially adverse environmental consequences of a new development can often be avoided or reduced through careful project planning.

• Technology Business Centres will ensure that environmental issues are taken into account at an early stage in the planning of new projects and reference will be made to the industry accepted 'sustainability check list'.

• Environmental and sustainability issues will be reviewed regularly throughout the development period.

Selection

Technology Business Centres will place a high priority on environmental considerations in its ongoing development programme by:

• Promoting the sensitive development and landscaping of new centres

• Prioritising the development of 'brown field' sites

• Taking due account of the existing and future public transport network and its relationship to proposed Centres locations

Building Design

Buildings in their construction consume a wide range of materials in considerable quantities, some of which may be scarce or non-renewable natural resources or be energy inefficient in their production and/or distribution or environmentally sensitive for other reasons.

• Technology Business Centres will promote sensitive building design, taking into consideration the efficient use of energy and materials, and recognising the importance of conserving scarce or non-renewable resources.

• Technology Business Centres, and those working for the Company, will, wherever possible, specify the use of the least environmentally damaging materials.

• Technology Business Centres will, using accepted industry measurement procedures, specify minimum environmental quality criteria for the design of its new buildings and will appoint its designers on the basis that they meet such environmental standards.

Construction

The construction phase of a development project has its own environmental impacts and Technology Business Centres is committed to ensuring that these are minimised.

• Technology Business Centres will expect its contractors and suppliers to adopt environmental principles compatible with its own.

• Technology Business Centres will require its contractors to minimise the impact of construction activities on the environment, in particular those activities that concern noise, vibration, energy use and the creation and disposal of waste.

Building Performance Reviews

Commercial and industrial companies increasingly expect the buildings they occupy to be of high environmental quality, particularly in respect of energy efficiency and construction materials.

•  Technology Business Centres will set guidance criteria for its new buildings

• Technology Business Centres will identify and, where practicable, eliminate environmental hazards in its existing portfolio of properties.

Energy Management

Energy use in buildings accounts for about half of total national energy demand.

• Technology Business Centres recognises that it has a responsibility to minimise the energy used in all aspects of its operations.

• Technology Business Centres will institute a programme to review energy consumption in its existing centres and set specific performance targets for achieving reductions in energy use.

• Technology Business Centres will specify energy minimisation criteria in its design requirements for new buildings, having particular regard to the use of energy efficient plant, insulation and ventilation.

Waste Management and Recycling

Waste can be generated at any stage in the property development cycle and needs to be carefully managed.

• Technology Business Centres will promote the reduction of waste and encourage the recycling of materials in all its property development and Centre management activities.

• Technology Business Centres will endeavour to ensure that all waste generated is handled and disposed of by responsible contractors at suitably authorised sites.

• Technology Business Centres will expect its contractors to minimise the loss of materials through waste or damage and to ensure the safe and responsible disposal of residual waste, especially any that may be hazardous.

Operating Centres

Technology Business Centres contain many different types of businesses and unit occupancy changes on a regular basis.

• Technology Business Centres Centre management teams will operate Centres in compliance with this Environmental and Sustainability Policy and promote 'bu

• y in' by licensees and suppliers.

• Centres will promote the use of public transport and initiate car share schemes in accordance with current accepted guidelines

• Centres will promote sensible waste control systems and recycling initiatives

Centres will closely monitor energy consumption and instigate schemes to promote the avoidance of wasted energy.