In December, Smart Buildings Senior Analyst Amelia Feehan attended and participated in a panel at COP28 in UAE. We spoke to her about her experience on the ground and found out what organizations and individuals alike should take from the conference.
What’s it like being on the ground at Dubai’s COP28?
As a COP first-timer, the magnitude of the conference was hard to comprehend. Around 85,000 participants attended COP28, marking the highest number in its history and a substantial rise from the 35,000 attendees at COP27. I felt incredibly fortunate to attend, given the historical significance of past COPs in delivering global milestones for the climate movement – such as the Kyoto Protocol during COP3 and the adoption of the Paris Agreement at COP21. This COP followed suit by concluding the first-ever Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement, assessing the progress made towards mitigating global warming – akin to a scorecard for countries’ climate efforts. As expected, the results revealed that we're not on track, prompting almost every nation to commit to a “transition away from fossil fuels” at the COP28 climate summit.
COP28 encountered numerous controversies, raising questions about the conference's overall concept. What are your opinions or reflections on this matter?
Petrostates, private planes and a president-designate facing scrutiny for oil deal allegations do not strike many as synonymous with a ‘climate conference’. Safe to say, I felt conflicted as I navigated through the heavily air-conditioned pavilions bustling with climate activists and those walking the talk, right alongside a record number of fossil fuel lobbyists in attendance. In this land of contrast, I felt it important to remember the necessity of involving major fuel-producing nations in discussions to effect rapid change, with these same countries making powerful commitments to climate action, and to keep in mind that COP remains a crucial lever in international cooperation. The UAE’s increasing investment in renewable energy, with plans to invest $54 billion over the next seven years, highlights this progress. As one attendee aptly summarized, “It’s not without its flaws, but an imperfect global climate conference still surpasses the absence of any international climate cooperation.”
What presence did the building and construction sector have at COP28?
Responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, the built environment was a focal point at this year’s conference. A dedicated thematic day on December 6 highlighted the significance of buildings in addressing the climate agenda and energy transition. It showcased the sector’s critical role in achieving the objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement.
Were there any standout initiatives or discussions specifically focused on the built environment during COP28?
I believe the most notable revelation was the introduction of the Buildings Breakthrough initiative, which targets the universal adoption of near-zero-emissions buildings by 2030. The pledge was signed by 27 countries – representing over one-third of the global population and more than half of global GHG emissions – and including big emitters China and the US. This programme will serve as a platform for global collaboration on buildings, emphasizing objectives such as harmonizing international building standards and mobilizing private financial support. To sustain the drive behind this initiative, the inaugural Buildings and Climate Global Forum will be held on March 7-8 2024 in Paris, France and will be attended by construction ministers from around the world.
The UAE emphasized ‘Technology and Innovation’ as one of the cross-cutting themes for COP28. How might technology contribute to decarbonizing the building and construction sectors?
An array of firms, including Arup, EY, HSBC, IBM, Knight Frank, Schneider Electric, Sidara and WGBC, deliberated on climate innovations and showcased advanced technologies at COP28 to support low-carbon and resilient buildings. The strategies proposed included renewable energy integration and energy-efficient building systems for retrofitting existing buildings. Digital fabrication and off-site construction emerged as solutions for digitizing the construction sector to promote digital continuity across the building life cycle and reduce on-site material wastage. Discussions also examined AI integration in the built environment technology landscape and its potential to enhance building efficiency, automate control systems and facilitate faster decision-making.
You spoke about the role of digital twins in reducing buildings’ carbon emissions at the COP28 panel hosted by Dar. What insights from the discussion can you share with us?
Buildings are brimming with interconnected components, equipment and systems; they sustain the movement of occupants and visitors and a host a plethora of processes and workflows. As such, they require a tool that can accurately replicate and simulate this complexity, to be able to drive building efficiencies and environmental impact reductions. Enter – the digital twin. Dar’s panel explored how digital twins offer valuable cross-functional insights into building performance, explaining how they can detect inefficiencies and faults, enhance asset management, optimize energy efficiency and reduce waste. As digital twins increasingly integrate disparate systems and add critical data over time, new use cases will evolve, in realms such as climate risk, infrastructure planning and building resiliency.
Have you heard or seen anything that’s sparked ideas for new research?
The fragmentation of stakeholders across the built environment and real estate value chain was profoundly evident when listening to any number of panels at the conference. An area of research for us to focus on is the need for radical collaboration across the building life cycle to effectively decarbonize the sector. We will examine how the roles of AEC professionals, facilities managers, property developers, building owners, asset managers and real estate investors require increased intersectionality and tools to enhance information exchange and deliver low-carbon building practices both in design and operations.
Can you share one thing that governments and organizations should take away from this event?
The means to decarbonize the built environment are already available: our task is to mobilize these solutions and accelerate their deployment at scale through funding, regulatory support and collaboration.
