Sustainability and net-zero
According to The World Green Building Council, the construction industry contributes an astounding 40 percent of global emissions!
It has called for urgent action from the global construction industry to cut emissions from the construction and operation of buildings by half before 2030 and to reach net-zero life-cycle emissions for all buildings no later than 2050.
Net-zero ambitions
In October 2021, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), commonly known as COP26, demonstrated that achieving net-zero emissions has become a key principle for businesses and a differentiator in the marketplace. In the same month, the UAE became the first country in the GCC region to commit to carbon neutrality and reach net-zero by 2050, and the government has announced a significant investment in clean renewable sources of energy aimed at achieving this goal. As part of this trajectory, the UAE has recently enhanced its 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target to 31 percent saving compared to business-as-usual.
There are now several large-scale in-country projects underway, such as the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, a large-scale solar and thermal storage facility, which is planned to produce 5GW of solar energy by 2030. Likewise, in Abu Dhabi, the Al Dhafra solar (2GW) project, which plans to produce enough electricity to supply 160,000 homes across the capital, is now close to completion, and the Abu Dhabi PV3 plant (1.5GW), which will reduce Abu Dhabi's carbon emissions by more than 2.4 million tonnes a year.
But is 2050 (28 years from now) an ambitious target? Why not introduce legislation today that brings about immediate action? It was recently announced that the upcoming 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28) will be held at Expo City. The event is expected to attract more than 45,000 participants daily, including heads of state, government officials, academics, private investors, and international industry leaders. Perhaps this will drive forward the pace of achieving the country’s sustainability targets.
“The next 12 months will be a pivotal time for the UAE as COP28 will bring focus to the region and the activities at a governmental and corporate level. With the continued drive to commit to tougher action on climate change, there is an expectation that the construction industry must be seen to be doing its part.”
Lindsey Malcolm, Sustainability Lead for Turner & Townsend Middle East
Sustainability measures
It’s clear that the industry needs to rapidly decarbonise to meet global targets, yet, although many solutions are well understood, the industry will need to step up and raise its ambitions in many areas.
For new construction, the adoption of sustainable materials, advanced technologies, and ‘green,’ climate-smart solutions, will become the norm, in order to achieve these goals and offset greenhouse gas emissions.
When asked about sustainable measures on projects, 68 percent of our survey respondents reported there to be an increase in sustainable measures introduced on their projects over the past six months. Likewise, over 70 percent of Developers and Design/Engineering Consultants we surveyed said they had seen either some or significant uptake of more sustainable measures on projects since Q1 of this year.
of our survey respondents reported there to be an increase in sustainable measures introduced on their projects over the past six months.
of respondents believe there is not enough capability in the supply chain to deliver upon carbon reduction ambitions.
More than reducing the carbon footprint at an organisational level is required. Leading construction companies must establish the norm and get the data they need to set clear targets and standards to which their suppliers must adhere.
Legislation is needed to drive change
There is no doubt that COP 28 will afford the UAE the opportunity to shine the spotlight on the critical role the Middle East’s economic transformation will play in shaping the global response to climate change.
In the meantime, there is a clear need for legislation to direct a green and more sustainable agenda for the region’s construction industry.
When it comes to construction, the UAE’s current approach towards building more sustainable developments differs greatly between its Emirates. Abu Dhabi has for a long-time been leading the change, mandating sustainability assessment for new developments, but now the other Emirates are coming to the fore. In Ras Al Khaimah the Energy Efficiency and Renewables Strategy 2040, continues to drive change, with a broad perspective across its nine key programmes. Likewise, Dubai’s new building code unifies many requirements and mandates a minimum level of sustainable development. In line with these new obligations, some leading Developers are pushing to integrate long-lasting sustainability initiatives across new communities.
While the UAE has the benefit of space and therefore the ability to easily introduce off-site carbon balancing measures to achieve net-zero, without stricter legislation, it remains to be seen how quickly the concept of more sustainable construction will be adopted. Furthermore, there is a need to consider materiality and resource consumption as key priorities within the sector, to reduce our long-term impacts.
There is a particular need within real estate development to move away from a focus on the CAPEX cost of the developments and focus more on the lifecycle. By introducing sustainable approaches that directly reduce the lifecycle cost of a development, the overall return on investments will be enhanced.
Counting to net-zero, how does the industry respond
The attainment of 2030 and 2050 targets is predicated on taking action now. However, the adherence to a business-as-usual approach continues to have a significant negative impact on emissions generated, alongside excessive resource consumption, which further exacerbates the challenge we face.
When asked to assess their own company’s net-zero ambitions, 26 percent of survey respondents, (including 50 percent of those Developers surveyed), said their company had yet to devise or implement a net-zero strategy. This highlights the extent of the challenge facing the industry.
With COP28 around the corner, it is becoming unacceptable for businesses to not have a net-zero strategy in place. This is expected to be the biggest area of transition over the next 12 months with a transitional shift from baseline compliance and box-ticking to a focus on transformative and impactful delivery.
From ‘green’ design solutions to optimised logistics processes and energy-efficient operational assets, the construction industry is gradually becoming more sustainable despite many conflicting goals and complex challenges.
Find out more about our commitment to net-zero here.
We have recently developed our innovative Embodied Carbon Calculator (ECC) - a bespoke carbon accounting tool that enables clients to evaluate the carbon footprint of projects from an early design stage, covering cradle to practical completion. For further information and to book your demo of our Embodied Carbon Calculator, contact: carboncalculator@turntown.com
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