Quiz Carriera diplomatica, 50 posti Segretario di legislazione in prova.

Read the text and answer the questions.
[1] Recent years have seen a flood of information on the impact of buildings on the natural environment; information which explains and promotes green and sustainable construction design, strives to convince others of its efficacy and warns of the dangers of ignoring the issue. Rarely do these documents offer advice to practitioners, such as those who design a building's mechanical and electrical systems, on how to use this knowledge on a practical level.
[2] While the terms green and sustainable are often considered synonymous, in that they both symbolise nature, green does not encompass all that is meant by sustainability, which can be defined as minimizing the negative impacts of human activities on the natural environment, in particular those which have long-term and irreversible effects. Some elements of green design may be sustainable too, for example those which reduce energy usage and pollution, while others, such as ensuring internal air quality, may be considered green despite having no influence on the ecological balance.
[3] Although there are a good many advocates of 'green' construction in the architecture industry, who can cite ample reasons why buildings should be designed in a sustainable way, not to mention a plethora of architectural firms with experience in green design, this is not enough to bring green construction to life. The driving force behind whether a building is constructed with minimal environmental impact lies with the owner of the building; that is, the person financing the project. If the owner considers green design unimportant, or of secondary importance, it is more than likely that it will not be considered in the project.
[4] The commissioning process plays a key role in ensuring the owner gets the building they want, in terms of design, costs and risk. At the predesign stage, the owner's objectives, criteria and the type of design envisaged are discussed and documented. This gives a design team a solid foundation on which they can build their ideas, and also provides a specific benchmark against which individual elements, such as costs, design and environmental impact can be judged.
[5] Owners who skip the commissioning process, or fail to take 'green' issues into account when doing so, often come to grief once their building is up and running. Materials and equipment are installed as planned, and, at first glance, appear to fulfil their purpose adequately. However, in time, the owner realises that operational and maintenance costs are higher than necessary and, occupants are dissatisfied with the results. These factors in turn lead to higher ownership costs as well as increased environmental impact.
[6] In some cases, an owner may be aware of the latest trends in sustainable building design. They may have done some research on the subject, or been informed of the merits of green design through early discussions with professionals. However, firms should not take it as read that those commissioning a building already have a preconceived idea of how green they intend the structure to be. Indeed, this initial interaction between owner and firm is the ideal time for a designer to outline and promote the ways that green design can meet the client's objectives, thus turning a project originally not destined for green design into a potential candidate.