Buildings produce 10 billion gigatons of CO₂ emissions each year, comprising one-third of global emissions. These emissions are predicted to increase, threatening the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree target and potentially leading to a 2-degree rise by 2050. Addressing the sector’s carbon problem is crucial to tackling these challenges. Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis presents a unique chance to build a city that will minimize the impact of the built environment.
AECOM partnered with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) earlier to organize a symposium titled ‘Conversation for Collaboration: Becoming Net Zero Heroes.’ An article was published to summarize the strategies, tools, and case studies for reducing carbon emissions for the built environment based on the insights from industry leaders and experts who participated.
A few key ideas consistently emerged:
- As engineers and planners, we must take ownership and not take “no” for an answer when it comes to embedding both operational and whole life cycle.
- There are tools and frameworks like PAS 2080 to guide us towards making the right choices for decarbonization at different stages of a project.
- Carbon management planning is essential for creating a clear roadmap towards net zero projects and prioritizing opportunities with realistic carbon savings. Incremental action is crucial, rather than waiting for a perfect solution.
- Click the link below to see more highlights.
Three AECOM thought leaders will be sharing more insights on attaining sustainability goals at the Innovation & Technology Theatre (11:30 and 14:00) and the Sustainable Buildings & Facilities Theatre (15:00) on September 14 at ReThink HK. We look forward to exchanging ideas with you there!