ASSOCIATION NEWS
RICS WORLD BUILT ENVIRONMENT FORUM
SUMMIT DISCUSSES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
On 13Ž‘ and 14Ž‘ May, RICS welcomed over 500
industry professionals to its fourth World
Built Environment Forum Summit held in New
York. The two days saw an impressive line-up of
over 60 speakers who covered topics related to
the Future of Investment in Real Assets.
Unsurprisingly, sustainability within the built
environment was a major theme.
Buildings are a major contributor to climate
change, estimated by the US Green Building
Council to account for 39 per cent of US carbon
emissions, and yet less than one per cent of
construction revenues are reinvested into research
and development.
Are we progressing fast enough to cut emissions
from the built environment – and how can we
speed up the process?
As pointed out by Antony Wood, Chief Executive
O¢ icer, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban
Habitat, there is no shortage of innovation within
the industry.
Speaking at the RICS World Built Environment
Forum Summit 2019 in New York, he cites a
number of examples, such as the NBR Osaki
Building in Tokyo, which uses a system of
rainwater-filled ceramic pipes around its exterior
UNCERTAINTY, ADAPTABILITY, AGILITY
8 JUNE 2019
to cool the building naturally, thus reducing energy
use associated with air conditioning.
For Wood, the question is less one of where the
innovation should come from, and instead much
more a matter of how the entire value chain of
landowners, tenants, governments, builders and
professionals can act in concert to execute these
innovations at scale.
Another key issue which was explored over
the course of the Summit, was Sustainable
development and why we – literally – can’t
a¢ ord to get it wrong. Discussions revolved
around the imperative to do all of this in way
that is sustainable and resilient, while also taking
maximum advantage of technology, became
clearer than ever.
Greg Clark CBE, Chairman of The Business of
Cities and a panelist at the Summit’s closing
session, commented on the need for focus,
courage and optimism.
Clark also stresses that this will mean tackling the
issues at hand with diverse approaches to fit the
cultures, economies and physical characteristics of
every city, building and country – and to avoid at
all costs a ‘one-size-fits-all’ playbook.
“It’s no longer possible to talk about the average
city or the average building, or the average
investor, or the average asset, or the average
infrastructure plan or the average governance
model,” Clark comments. “We are seeing a
complete fragmentation of old ways of thinking
about these things. And we have to develop a
much more sophisticated, much more adaptable
and customised understanding of the huge variety
of di¢ erent kinds of cities, investors, real estate
assets and infrastructures.”
This was a sentiment echoed by Marcene
Mitchell, Senior Manager for Climate Business at
the World Bank International Finance Corporation:
“We cannot develop in the way that the Western
world developed: we do not have the resources
on this planet. Now, it doesn’t mean that we
don’t have opportunity, it doesn’t mean that
people can’t have access to modern energy. But
we have to do it in a di¢ erent way – and that is an
opportunity that can unleash our creativity and
innovation.”
Next year on May 11ª« and 12ª« the summit will
take place in
Shenzhen, China.
Sara Kassam, Head
of Sustainability,
CIBSE, attended the
recent inauguration of
CIBSE’s new President,
Professor Lynne Jack
at the Royal Society,
London. Professor
Jack is currently the
Director of Research
at Heriot-Watt University’s Malaysia campus and
has a background in public health engineering.
Her research focuses on modelling the flow
characteristics in vertical drainage stacks and
in building roof drainage systems; as well as on
predicting simultaneous design flow for water
distribution networks in buildings.
The inauguration evening gives the incoming
President an opportunity to outline their priorities
for the year and Professor Jack highlighted the
growing relevance of building services engineers
to the challenges facing both national and
international societies. Acknowledging that she
was taking o¢ ice at a time of unprecedented
uncertainty and change, she identified climate
change and adoption of digital technology as areas
where CIBSE expertise is playing an increasingly
important role in delivering safe, healthy,
functional and sustainable buildings.
Focusing first on climate change, Professor
Jack said: “We see progressively more
challenging commitments to
carbon reduction levels” and a
“significant acceleration of
decarbonisation required.” It
is essential that we produce
buildings that are not
only fit for purpose today
but are also adaptable to
future climate change.
She highlighted the need
for knowledge, collaboration
and innovation that crosses
borders, continents and time
zones. There is absolutely no doubt
we need professionals equipped not only with
excellent engineering and design skills but who
also understand the business imperative, and the
international aspects of a construction sector that
is now increasingly global. We also need those with
organisational and interpersonal skills to be able
to collaborate e¢ ectively with fellow professionals,
and to engage and communicate with those who
commission, use and occupy buildings.
While highlighting the demand for the particular
skills embodied by CIBSE members, Professor
Jack also focused on the challenge of attracting
and retaining highly skilled practitioners
to the sector. The new President
noted the rising percentage
of female practitioners in
both graduate and student
membership, and among
the CIBSE Fellows, the
most senior membership
grade. Supported by the
work of our Inclusivity
Panel we have a strong
focus on increasing the
proportion of female members
and registrants. “We believe that
an inclusive culture brings resilience,
creativity and innovation – qualities that
deliver both better buildings and a stronger
building services engineering community. We are
working hard to ensure that our organisation and
profession are welcoming to all, for the benefit
of all.”
Professor Lynne Jack succeeds Stephen Lisk as
CIBSE President and will in turn be succeeded by
Stuart Macpherson, CIBSE President Elect.
Professor Lynne Jack
We believe that an
inclusive culture brings
resilience, creativity and
innovation – qualities that deliver
both better buildings and a
stronger building services
engineering community.”
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