Building Decarbonisation and Sustainable Management of Energy, Water, and Consumption Patterns: Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions Dr. Olisanwendu Ogwuda
Centre Manager at The Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction and the Director of Industry Engagement for the School of Engineering, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS), Heriot-Watt University Dubai
Dr. Rabee Rustum
Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University; Director of Academic Quality for the School of Engineering, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS), Heriot-Watt University Dubai
Nadia Ibrahim
Associate Director of Sustainability, Farnek Services, Board of Directors-Board of United Nations Global Compact UAE
Nathalie Poirier
CEO at Terrafic Energy
Ghina Zannerni
Technical Engineer, Emirates Green Building Council
To celebrate World Green Building Week (12 - 16th September) under the title of “Building for the Planet”, Emirates Green Building Council and The Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction at Heriot-Watt University, Dubai campus held a joint event on 13th September 2022 that was hosted at Heriot Watt University, Dubai campus. The event gathered leading sustainability professionals from both industry and academia to discuss four key sustainability issues that are of high priority in global sustainability agendas. These are namely: 1) Building Decarbonisation; 2) Sustainable and Affordable Energy; 3) Sustainable Management of Water; 4)Sustainable Consumption Patterns.
The roundtable discussions that took place during the event contributed to the creation of this paper, particularly through the participation of the moderators for each roundtable. The paper presents the outcomes and shared insights from the event in relation to the four themes of discussion. Overview According to Global Status Report for Building and Construction 2019 by International Energy Agency (IEA), the buildings and construction sector contributed significantly to final energy use and energy-related CO2 emissions, accounting for 36% and 39% respectively. A significant portion of these emissions, approximately 11%, were the result of the manufacturing of building materials such as steel, cement, and glass, and nearly 28% are associated with the day-to-day operations like electricity or natural gas for heating, cooling, and cooking [1]. Reducing emissions from new as well as existing buildings through decarbonisation strategies is an essential step towards mitigating climate change and providing a more sustainable Built Environment. While it may appear that sufficient action is being taken, in reality, we have only scratched the surface and there is still a more substantial effort that needs
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to be deployed.. It is also widely recognised that the current global energy mix continues to be dominated by fossil fuels, accounting for over 80% worldwide [2] and over 96% in the UAE [3]. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 report [4], it is now possible to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 due to the significant decrease in the cost of renewable energy sources. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also taken proactive measures towards this goal by setting an ambitious target to generate 44% of its energy from clean sources and to become the first Net Zero Gulf country by 2050 [5]. This is a clear indication of the UAE’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and transitioning towards a more sustainable future. In terms of water challenge, and as stated by Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, “Today, 40 per cent of the world’s people are affected by water scarcity; 80 per cent of wastewater is
Building Decarbonisation and Sustainable Management of Energy, Water, and Consumption Patterns