Clive Docwra is the managing director of property and construction consultancy McBains
On December 6, the construction sector and the built environment will be at the forefront of COP28 when the theme of the day will be ‘Multilevel action, urbanization and the built environment and transport’. With the presidency of COP28 asking countries to commit to both National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), in short, climate action plans to reduce emissions and adapt se to climate impacts, what can COP28 mean for the construction sector?
Of the 196 countries that have submitted NDCs, 158 mention buildings. This is an encouraging start, given that buildings are responsible for 37% of energy-related carbon emissions and 34% of energy end-use, as well as a large share of extracted materials.
The transformation of buildings will be essential in decarbonisation efforts, especially given that the recent Global Stocktake, the first detailed assessment of global progress towards the Paris Agreement, showed that we are poised to miss the target of temperature of 1.5°C established in 2015. The built environment sector The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underlines the potential for transformative change, saying: “Building sector mitigation policies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 80 and 90% and lift up to 2.8 billion people out of energy poverty. The sector is also key to our economy: it is responsible for 7% of global employment or more than 200 million jobs, representing 11-13% of global GDP.”
“Resilience and adaptation will be key themes, focusing on how to design, build, maintain and occupy buildings so that they can function in a future with climate change impacts.”
As the IPCC also points out, green buildings represent a huge low-carbon investment opportunity in emerging markets of $24.7 billion (£19.6 billion) by 2030. So far, 25 countries , including the UK, have also signed up to the building progress target. This goal calls for net zero emissions and resilient buildings to be the new normal by 2030. COP28 should see more countries commit to and rise to the challenge. The area of incorporated carbon is also expected to be explored.
Biodiversity is also likely to be an important issue as the built environment sector re-evaluates how it can protect and restore nature. Understandably, resilience and adaptation will also be key themes, focusing on how to design, build, maintain and occupy buildings so they can function in a future with climate change impacts.
A long way to go
However, while all this may sound encouraging, there is still a long way to go. An analysis published this year by the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) assessed the climate-related targets and performance of a range of companies in the building and construction sectors and described the results as “particularly alarming”. , with 44% of companies. it has been assessed that there are no publicly disclosed targets to curb emissions. Of the companies that the AMB considers to have significant construction or real estate development activities, not even a fifth had a net zero target.
Even the few identified leaders in the space did not have a roadmap that included how they would deliver zero carbon ready buildings by the target year. It revealed that more than half (54%) also did not have a climate transition plan.
We need all companies in the sector to step up their efforts to drive the transition to more efficient buildings and green resources and materials. This includes increasing the pace to address sustainability and achieve net zero. We need to increase the momentum of energy efficient designs like green urban spaces, integrated solar roofs, rain harvesting, biodiversity roofs and more.
We also need to prioritize modernization: new buildings can be more energy efficient, but 80% of the buildings that will be standing in 2050 have already been built, so we need to prioritize upgrading the ones we already have. Some government support would not go amiss here, given the scale of the challenge.
In addition, as suggested by the Chartered Institute of Building, development projects could be allocated a carbon budget, as well as include a financial budget, which is analyzed at each stage of the project. Such a move would mean taking the carbon impact into account in decision-making and avoiding missed opportunities.
As much as we need these solutions, green building policies and regulations will also be vital to ensure we are working towards a better future. Strong regulations would encourage the use of sustainable materials and address carbon emissions. This would not only help the environment, but also improve living conditions and reduce energy costs for residents.
COP28 comes at a crucial moment. As the Global Stocktake made clear, time is running out to deliver a sustainable future. Change is starting to happen, but hopefully COP28 will see the message reach more than just the construction industry.
