Keynote presentation given at the International Conference on Sustainable Building South-East Asia (SB07SEA) by RPS on behalf of FIDIC. "Strategies for Implementation" 5-7th November 2007 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia FIDIC International Federation of Consulting Engineers Iksan van der Putte "Project Sustainability Management - beyond the greening of buildings" A complete overhaul of infrastructures is required to make economic development sustainable in the long-term. Sustainable construction is important, and the framework of sustainability indicators should aim to achieve the most favourable ecological, economic, social and cultural impact on a local, regional and global level.

Interior of the Gasunie Building, Groningen, Netherlands.

There is a lack of tools to develop, improve and evaluate a project's sustainability in an independent way and a poor environment for innovation. Progress requires an open environment: encouraging diversity, exchanging knowledge, and sharing risks - instead of simply sticking closely to what is known. Engineering disciplines tend to operate in relative isolation, but without recognizing the benefits of cross-business-unit co-operation, each unit tends to seek improvement of its own financial performance.

Warning signs of non-sustainable development
The overall model of economic growth is not sustainable. We are approaching resource limits and ecological carrying capacity at all scales. World population has now reached 6bn and is expected to reach 9-10bn by 2050, when the number of megacities in developing countries is expected to reach over 50 - many in coastal areas and highly vulnerable to natural disasters and other consequences of climate change. This will create a major challenge for the engineering community, requiring a new infrastructure to support and provide safety to huge urban populations.

The Building and Construction Sector as a Key sector in Sustainable Development The building and construction sector is a key sector for sustainable development. The construction, use and demolition of buildings generate substantial social and economic benefits, but may also have serious negative impacts on the environment. The sector accounts for the largest share in the use of natural resources, by land use and materials extraction.

Areas of Key Concern
Energy use with associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Waste generation.
Materials use and recycling.
Water use and discharge.
Integration of buildings with other infrastructure and social systems.

In Europe, buildings account for 40-45% of energy consumption in society. 80-90% of energy today is used during operational phases for heating, cooling and lighting buildings. In zero energy buildings a comfortable interior climate can be maintained without active heating and cooling systems. New buildings use less energy than existing ones and there will be a need for differentiating building codes to reflect this.

Items which might be considered in developing general guidelines for energy efficiency in new buildings⁸.

¹Bill Wallace, 2005. Becoming part of the solution. The engineer's guide to sustainable development. American Council of Engineering Companies, Washington DC.
²The predicted number of megacities in the developed world is currently five.
³Ibid reference 1.
⁴Other contributing factors with negative impacts include energy use, liquid and solid waste generation, transport of construction materials, and consumption of hazardous materials.
⁵In OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, buildings are responsible for 25-40% of total energy use.
⁶Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Construction and Buildings. Review prepared by Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative (SBCI) Climate Change Think Tank Working Group (TTWG), Paris, France
⁷Year of construction and type of building are important indicators in defining the measures and monitoring progress in energy reduction (ref. 6).

Selection of low-embodied energy materials.
Introduction of passive solutions at design phase (e.g. natural ventilation and orientation).
Selection of high-performance materials and technologies when applicable (such as energy saving equipment - HVAC, lighting, computers, refrigerators, etc - and clean electricity such as PV cells).
Introduction of advanced monitoring systems (e.g. to check the use of electricity by the building to detect abnormalities and correct them).

Progress in the EU in the energy performance of buildings
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC) can play a key role in realising the savings potential in the buildings sector (estimated at 28%) and can, in turn, reduce total EU final energy consumption by around 11%. The European Commission will also propose expanding the Directive's scope in 2009, and propose EU minimum performance requirements.

Important role for sustainability performance and rating systems
The existing standards for sustainable buildings, including energy performance have a strong local, national or regional character. General baselines for building performance need to be established to develop national and regional standards or legislation, emphasising not only energy efficiency but also:

	climate change impact, materials use/efficiency, waste generation, water efficiency, recycling ease, replacement, maintenance, integration with social systems (ref. 8,9).

Need for Project Sustainability Management Systems
Certifiable sustainability rating systems are not always project oriented and may have too much of a single building focus. Indicators are needed to also support the planning and design of sustainable buildings.

Sustainability indicators should also cover the less developed regions, as well as developed regions, and be applicable for a wide range of engineering projects and development plans. Finally, one of the most important requirements should be met, which is the process of how to use these indicators, having a specific project goal in mind.

Note:
This is an abridged version of the full document.

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