COP26 – what next?

COP26 OUTCOMES

By Herpreet Kaur Grewal

COP26 may be behind us, but what are the outcomes of the event? Last year’s conference stood out for having a Cities, Regions & Built Environment Day, the first time this had happened at the global UN event. On one panel during this day, delegates heard that the built environment industry has not been going “far or fast enough” on tackling climate change.

Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council, said the buildings and construction sector and cities “must be elevated as a critical solution provider to the climate emergency”.

Although it was far from perfect, the final deal of the entire event made small steps in the right direction. But in his post-event press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he was “tinged with disappointment” that an overall better deal could not be agreed upon by nations. He added that although “it’s tempting to be cynical” and “dismiss these types of such summits as a series of talking shops” he insisted that “we came to COP with a call for real action on coal, cars, cash and trees and that’s exactly what we’ve got”.

Among the small but welcome pledges in the pact was the first mention of fossil fuels in the text of a COP agreement. The agreement said nations must accelerate towards “the phasedown of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”. For the built environment this means changing many aspects of how it is run.

Gamboa had told delegates: “By 2050, 68 per cent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas. Cities, regions and the built environment within them are critical for climate action. The built environment is responsible for almost 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The built environment sector is a strategic sector to simultaneously address the global challenges of various global changes such as climate change, improving living conditions, the economic crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the necessary resilience we need to build in our regions and cities. We aim to spotlight local and regional leadership as a vital policy enabler for action on buildings and construction, waste and consumption, circular economy and the creation of green jobs.”

The “phasedown” of fossil fuels will affect all elements of the built environment. One of the ways to meet targets will be for building owners and operators to make use of sophisticated technology.

Jamie Cameron, director of digital solutions at Johnson Controls UK&I, said: “About 40 per cent of global carbon emissions and 50 per cent of extracted materials comes from the buildings we use every day.”

He added: “Thankfully, technologies already exist that

can help us in lowering carbon emissions. Reviewing technology investments is one place to start as we gain a complete view on the environmental impacts of the built environment. Smart solutions can integrate all technologies found in a building across the fire, security, controls, HVAC, and occupancy systems, increasing overall efficiency and therefore reducing energy consumption. This is a winwin as businesses can lower energy consumption in their buildings to achieve net zero goals but also save on energy costs.

“Smart technologies are no longer a gimmick or a ‘flash in the pan’ initiative and must instead be

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By 2050, 68 per cent of the world's population will be living in urban areas. Cities, regions and the built environment within them are critical for climate action

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recognised as a significant vehicle to make a positive impact and advance our sustainability efforts. In this sense, it is clear that smart technologies will be fundamental in reaching our climate goals. The evidence of the benefits of improved visibility over an organisation's carbon footprint – for our people, our planet, and now our businesses – are too prevalent to ignore.”

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) said that waste and resources should be pushed up the global political agenda if the world is to stay within the 1.5°C threshold.

CIWM president Dr Adam Read said the fact that the COP26 event had not fully recognised the “integral part the resources and waste sector has to play in helping to reach net zero targets, not just in the UK, but globally” was “a critical oversight on their part”.

Read added that while it was disappointing not to see waste and resources better represented on the main COP26 agenda, it had nevertheless been “hugely encouraging to witness the sector proactively discussing practical action it can take to accelerate the development of the circular economy and battle climate change at a host of ‘fringe’ events. It is clear those working in the UK waste and resources industry are committed to moving to a world beyond waste and driving change despite the apparent lack of recognition on the international stage.”

C COP26 OUTCOMES RELEVANT TO WORKPLACE AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENTCO COP COP2 OP2P26 26 6

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● The government’s Treasury department announced rules saying financial institutions and companies with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange must come up with net zero transition plans, which will be published from 2023. The strategies will need to include targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and steps which companies intend to take to get there. To guard against greenwashing, a science-based ‘gold standard’ for transition plans will be drawn up by a new Transition Plan Taskforce composed of industry and academic leaders, regulators, and civil society groups. a an ● A week before COP26, the A w A ● A ● m government announced its heat nmernveovgo g

● ● TTh oThehe e ggo d deeppaarrtm tm m sa sayayiyinngg ffi i co nommppaan on on n tthehe e LLo m muustst t co coom t tra raansnsisititio o b be be e ppuubblilis s strtraatteeg e gie ta taargrge tgetets s t mg gaas s eemmis s co coommppa pan an g g getet tt ththeherere g gr grereeennwwa wa ‘ggooldld ad ststa p pl plaanns s wwi wil n ne neww w TTraan c coommp mpoposose se a accaaddeem m ndd cci civvil l weeek ek and buildings strategy, which sets out its plan to “significantly cut carbon emissions from the UK’s 30 million homes and workplaces in a simple, low-cost and green way while ensuring this remains affordable and fair”. Proposals included a £3.9 billion package, of which £450 million will be spent on grants subsidising the upfront cost of heat pumps for homes. ● The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) launched a Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap for the UK Built Environment (The Roadmap) detailing the necessary actions that government and industry must take to achieve net zero across the sector. ● The World Green Building Council announced that 44 businesses, including 28 UKGBC members, were taking sectorleading action on reducing the whole-life carbon of buildings by signing up to the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment – 122 businesses and organisations are now signed up to the commitment. ● The International Cost Management Standard – or ICMS3 – has been published by an international coalition of construction experts for reporting carbon dioxide emissions used in the building and life cycle of structures – also known as ‘embodied and operational carbon’ within the industry. Justin Sullivan, chair of the ICMS Coalition and Construction Industry Council, said: “When it comes to international standards for costs, life cycle and carbon in construction we are the only show in town – true pioneers. The timing of the launch of ICMS3, the standard for carbon in construction, could not be bett er with the world stage digesting and implementing the outcomes of COP26.”