MCCM Interview

How did you get to know about MCCM?

As a member and an international ambassador of Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) I take an active interest in CIOB’s new ventures and relationships with international associations and organizations. Following the current CEO Carolyn Gumble’s international activities, I came across her recent trip to Malta to meet with MCCM. Since I was coming to Malta on vacation, I asked Carolyn about MCCM who in turn e-introduced me to the MCCM President Jesmond Chetcuti. I was delighted to meet with Mr. Chetkuti and yourself in Valletta two weeks ago, and much appreciated your spending time discussing the built environment issues and prospectives in Malta.

What is your profession back in New York?

I am an architect by profession licensed in the United States and in the UK. I am also a Chartered Construction Manager with CIOB. I have been in the built environment industry for over four decades, working across the globe in various capacities from designer, builder, advisor, consultant and mentor, in both private and public sectors. I am currently working at the transportation & infrastructure arena focusing on environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and climate resiliency.

What was your first impression of the building and transport infrastructure on these islands?

For an architect, Malta’s architecture with its origins in prehistory, and some of the oldest free-standing structures on Earth, is most fascinating. I came to Malta to see these up close, to touch them and to marvel at them- which not only met but exceeded my expectation. I am genuinely impressed by Mata’s effort in heritage and preservation while it is keeping in stride with the modern times with sustainable development efforts such as the Smart City agendas and carbon neutral programs. As for transportation infrastructure, I found public transport to be surprising efficient. An avid user of public transit, I took buses and ferries everywhere I went in Malta and Gozo.

Malta is committed towards achieving the objectives the EU’s 2030 Energy & Climate Framework & the decarbonization of Europe by 2050. Do you think Malta can adapt to climate change?

Absolutely. From my understanding Malta, which generates less than 0.1 % of the EU-27's total greenhouse gas (GHG) pemissions, has already reduced its emissions at a faster pace than the EU average since 2012. However, given the country’s demography and its rising GDP, it may be difficult to continue the pace. This does not mean that Malta will not get there any later and most EU countries. In fact, in my opinion, Malta will be an exemplary leader in this effort since there is a great awareness among the Maltese public about being sustainable and contributing towards net zero. Public awareness is crucial and much more effective while implementing policies and regulations.

Given that Malta has limited mitigation potential in view of its service-based economy [mainly transport & agriculture] & its limited geographical area which restricts options for enhancement of land-based carbon sinks. It is therefore making use of options that fall under the Effort Sharing Decision. Do you think that carbon offsets and intra EU transfers are a possible solution for Malta to reach its commitment?

Carbon offsets and intra EU transfers can happen in many different ways and not always such that a country is restricted due to its geographical limitations. In addition, at the United Nations, 43 of the world's smallest island and low-lying coastal countries, representing the Member States most susceptible to change in climate, forged a coalition called the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), which has been working on developing a platform on carbon offsets among other climate related issues. I do believe that coming together with similar obstacles in achieving the commitment is the collective effort needed especially for small island nations.

What is your opinion on integrated photovoltaic systems? Do you think that such installations could possibly work for our island when taking into consideration the architectural nature of our buildings?

Photovoltaic (PV) connected systems are experiencing rapid market growth, due to the continually downward trend in PV cost together with government supported programs. Renewable energy portfolios of projects in regions such as Italy that is similar to Malta, has experienced maximized return with minimized investment risk.

Additionally, although energy and CO2 reduction potential can be reached through consumer-oriented policy measures, educating the general public towards behavioral change can result in energy efficiency and continued/extended use of low-emission energy. If the focus of energy policy is equally on businesses as well as on private households, which possess immense unused potential for energy reductions (and climate protection), the reduction of carbon footprint can be achieved twice as fast.

Talking about architecture, building design and construction, one of the important area to focus on is embodied carbon. Construction materials used worldwide that embody carbon is very extensive. For example, cement — the key ingredient that gives concrete its strength — is one of the largest emitters of CO2 in the built environment. Since concrete is the most abundant human-made material in the world, cement production creates ~7% of the world’s CO2 emissions and is the largest contributor to embodied carbon in the built environment.

Porie Saikia FAIA, FCIOB, RIBA

New York

February 6, 2023

BIO: Porie Saikia FAIA, FCIOB, RIBA, Chartered CM

Porie Saikia is a Registered Architect (RA) in NY, USA, Chartered Architect of Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and a Chartered Construction Manager at CIOB, UK. She has been elevated to a Fellow at the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) 2020, and a Fellow at the Chartered Institute of Building of UK (FCIOB) in 2010.

Throughout her career, Porie has demonstrated exemplary leadership by driving design excellence in civic architecture and championing innovative project delivery to enhance the built environment experience, benefiting millions in the New York region and the world. Her advocacy for a sustainable built environment is reflected in the various positions she has held in the industry and evidenced by receipt of the Gerstner Medal from Prague and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Excelsior award in New York.

Currently as the Senior Director, Environment, Energy, Climate & Sustainability at the MTA NY, she is responsible for taking forward the vision for Environmentally Sustainable MTA across its five agencies, developing strategies for Renewable Energy, GHG Reduction and Energy Efficiency. Porie also teaches Construction Management at the PRATT Institute of New York.