The green revolution
LAST month, Greta Thunberg shook the world with her speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019. The longoverdue green revolution is slowly taking over the world and, thankfully, more people are realising the urgency and importance of protecting the environment and embracing more eco-friendly ways of life by opting for sustainable energy, development and growth.
The global threat to the environment has forced industries across the world to shift to more sustainable means of production and operation, especially in the fields of engineering and architecture. To stay afloat in this green revolution engulfing the world, architecture and engineering companies are innovating greener ways to develop new ideas that would make the upcoming projects come under sustainable development.
What is green development?
In his article titled Green Architecture:
Building for the 21st Century published in Encyclopaedia Britannica, James Wines, president and founder of a New-york based environmental arts and architecture organisation, says, “(In 2007), the building of shelter (in all its forms) consumed more than half of the world’s resources – translating into 16% of the earth’s freshwater resources, 30% to 40% of all energy supplies, and 50% of all the raw materials withdrawn from the Earth’s surface by weight. Architecture is also responsible for 40% to 50% of waste deposits in landfills and 20% to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.”
The prevalence of such high numbers does not bode well for the future, more so with the growing global population. The answer to this threat is to build “green” buildings – structures that in their design, construction and operation, eliminate or reduce the negative impact on the environment while also creating a positive impact on its occupants.
However, the definition of green buildings differs among countries and regions based on a variety of characteristics, such as distinctive climatic conditions, unique cultures and traditions, diverse building types and ages and wide-ranging environmental, economic and social priorities – all of which shape every country’s approach to green buildings.
One thing is for certain, green buildings must reduce carbon emissions as outlined in the Paris Agreement, an agreement signed in 2016 within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Moving forward with green ambitions
At the forefront of this cause is the World Green Building Council (Worldgbc), an organisation that facilitates regional dialogue for national Green Building Councils (GBCS) of the world that face similar industry challenges and opportunities in various markets, be it in terms of engaging governments or working with multinational companies.
Worldgbc Asia Pacific Regional Network head Joelle Chen shares about the future of sustainability, saying, “To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, we must decarbonise by 2050 to limit global warming to 2°C.”
This is vital as rising temperatures will not only impact the climate, but also damage ecosystems and species that cannot adapt in time, including coral reefs and Arctic areas.
“With buildings and construction accounting for 36% of the final global energy use and 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, it is essential we transform our built environment to zeroemission structures by 2050.
“However, the current pace and scale of improvement is not enough to meet global climate ambitions: the energy intensity per square meter of the global buildings sector needs to improve by 30% on average by 2030 to be on track to meet global climate ambitions detailed in the Paris Agreement,” shares Chen.
Former Malaysia GBC president Ahmad Izdihar Supaat sums up the bottom line on shifting to sustainable development, saying, “It is not so much about whether we want to go green; it’s that we cannot afford to not go green.”
Making an effort within the country
In Malaysia, the establishment of the Green Building Index (GBI) in 2008, a national ranking system and set of guidelines for green development, has furthered the trend for sustainability considerably.
Leading by example, the iconic building housing the offices of Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Perdana Putra, was refurbished with energy efficient technology in 2010 and earned the highest rank attainable – a platinum GBI ranking.
In February last year, at the Ninth World Urban Forum, Malaysian Green Building Confederation honorary secretary C.K. Tang shared that the awareness in adopting the initiatives, especially among developers and professionals, began since the existence of the GBI.
Forty per cent of new buildings in Malaysia are adopting green building initiatives by planning and designing buildings that are more energy-efficient and with zero carbon emissions.
As of Aug 31 this year, the gross floor area of certified green buildings in Malaysia is more than 5,524.5 acres (2,235.7ha) with over 900 certified buildings throughout the country.
While the numbers may seem significant, they are relatively small in the grand scheme of things. Malaysia is still in its early years where going green is concerned but is on the right track. However, a great deal more can and needs to be done in order to significantly impact the effects of climate change.
The challenge with going green
Going green comes with its own set of challenges. One of the main trials in the advancement of sustainable practices in the Malaysian building industry is the diversified social and political environment.
In 2016, an online poll conducted by Asia Green Buildings found that readers see government incentives and regulations as the main challenge for green building development in Asia, followed by high capital costs and green funds (23.6%), market awareness (16.7%), resource and skill gap (5.6%) and other challenges (2.8%).
With many layers of governance at the federal, state and local levels as well as different policy enforcement agencies, it is important to manage conflicts of interest. There are many initiatives from different parties, all with reasons of their own. The challenge would be to manage these challenges so they trickle down to the appropriate local authorities and ensure each solution does not conflict with each other or existing national policies.
Demand for green engineering and architecture experts
With Malaysia catching up to the trend of sustainable development and growth, there is a huge demand for individuals who can contribute to green innovation, architecture and engineering. Since sustainable development in the fields of engineering
There are many initiatives from different parties, all with reasons of their own. The challenge would be to manage these challenges so they trickle down to the appropriate local authorities and ensure each solution does not conflict with each other or existing national policies.
and architecture is still developing, it leaves plenty of room for new creations and novel ideas.
If you are thinking about a career in architecture and engineering, instead of choosing a mainstream course, why not consider taking a course that will put you in high demand upon graduation and let you contribute positively to preserving the environment?
With reputed Malaysian colleges and universities offering courses in environmental engineering and green building, you have no shortage of options to choose from.
As Chen points out, “Realising the potential of global buildings and the construction sector requires all hands to be on deck, from policy, technology and financing tools to increased international cooperation, greater education and awareness, better training and capacity building across the buildings value chain.”
According to her, the building sector has a key role to play in driving demand for a decarbonised grid in the next decade or so.