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Delivering a Low Carbon Economy

Delivering a Low Carbon Economy. Keith Clarke Chairman Construction Industry Council. From this… Corporate Social Responsibility. How many dead polar bears does it take to change a light bulb?.

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Delivering a Low Carbon Economy

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  1. Delivering a Low Carbon Economy Keith Clarke Chairman Construction Industry Council

  2. From this… Corporate Social Responsibility How many dead polar bears does it take to change a light bulb? If you haven’t replaced all your incandescent bulbs with Compact Fluorescents, you’re contributing toGlobal Warming and driving Polar Bears toward extinction. Ban the Bulb!

  3. Source: International Panel on Climate Change Climate change • What is the evidence? • In 1750 the Earth’s atmosphere had 280 parts per million of CO2 • By 2005 the levels had increased to 379 ppm of CO2 and the Earth’s temperature had risen by 0.76 degrees. • By 2100, the Earth’s temperature may rise by 2-4.5 degrees and sea levels may rise by 0.18 to 0.59 metres. • HUMAN CAUSE IS UNEQUIVOCAL

  4. To this… a realisation of danger 2°C ?

  5. And this… A fundamental part of the economy Green stimulus spending (USD billion) Energy efficiency32% Breakdown of U.S. Green stimulus spending Renewables 23% LowCarbon5% Rail9% Grid11% Water waste 14% Source HSBC 2009

  6. Look who’s talking now…

  7. Some issues remain… • SAFETY in construction • HEALTH of site workers • DIVERSITY in professionals

  8. Carbon Budget

  9. Strategic decision making • Reviewing strategic investment decisions on the basis of carbon? • When would carbon intensityover-ride cost? • Can we guide capital investmentand operational budgets? • Capital premium for long-term lowenergy consumption? • Pay-back periods and discount rates? Bahrain World Trade Center, opened in 2008

  10. 20:20 hindsight would be great • What are the risks? • Climate change uncertainty means uncertaintyfor any design specification • Legal action if infrastructure fails? • Code evolvement • Zero new carbon homes by 2016 • Zero carbon new non-domestic buildings by 2019 • Can codes change fast enough? • Skills development, knowledge transfer, tools

  11. Can we predict what will happen? • Shorter design life? • Infrastructure / buildings, e.g. London 2012 Games has 100+ non-permanent structures • Standards & materials will change? • Recyclable / reusable • Built Environment professionals need to be ≥3 years ahead of society • In old money that’s ≥6 years…

  12. "If you really want to change the world - choose a career in engineering. And I mean real engineering,not financial engineering” Engineers can solve the challenges of carbon reduction Rt. Hon. Lord Mandelson, 24 Nov 2008

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