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The construction industry in the GCC is expected to grow by 4% per annum between 2023 and 2024, as investment in sustainable design strategies and ESG-related initiatives continue to grow despite persistent economic dark clouds, according to a report by leading global construction firm Gensler. Unabated, design and planning company.
It said the forecast provided a good opportunity for sustainable development and the implementation of clean energy.
Especially at a time when more and more organizations understand that their real estate can be the most powerful climate action tool at their disposal, it added.
Design and construction strategies that sequester carbon in buildings and prioritize locally manufactured materials will have much success, Gensler said, as embodied carbon analysis gains acceptance while driving operations toward net-zero goals.
With 53 locations and more than 7,000 professionals, Gensler’s network spans Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas.
Samar Hussein, design resiliency lead and associate at Gensler Middle East, said advocating for improved local building codes will be critical as the government seeks to raise standards across projects.
Hussein outlined the following trends in the sustainability space, focusing on the region:
*Carbon performance certification will become increasingly important in global real estate in the near future.
Radical transparency is the name of the game as companies shift to a culture of disclosure around their environmental commitments. Even in industries where building performance has traditionally been poor, net-zero energy and carbon certification will become baseline expectations.
* Europe will chart a route to regenerative systems, and the Middle East will follow.
Recognizing that carbon reduction is only the first step in a long march, much of Europe is adopting a climate action strategy focused on low-tech design and regenerative systems. These strategies shift the focus from minimizing environmental harm (net zero) to actively benefiting local ecology and generating renewable clean energy (net positive).
This presents a great opportunity for the Middle East to learn from and capitalize on this success and to advance with partners in these areas.
*Retrofitting existing buildings and materials through reuse strategies will replace new construction.
As the energy grid decarbonises, the embodied carbon associated with new buildings will become even more important. Adaptive reuse, which can reduce a building’s lifecycle carbon by 40%, will be an important solution to this dilemma, especially as forward-thinking governments and companies commit to prioritizing retrofitting over new construction.
There are currently growing initiatives in the GCC in terms of reuse and recycling, with an imminent focus on low-carbon projects, highlighted by Saudi Arabia’s vision for sustainable gigabit development.
Retrofitting existing building stock to zero-carbon-ready levels should be the next priority in advancing the region’s 2030-2060 sustainability goals. Renovating a building typically reduces embodied carbon emissions by 50% to 75% compared to building a new building, especially if the building foundation and structural skeleton are maintained.
*Certification will emerge to better define and quantify socially responsible strategies – the “S” in ESG.
While many well-known certification schemes exist to demonstrate environmental and governance commitment, the same cannot currently be said for the social aspects of ESG. Funds increasingly seek clarity around equity, inclusion and health.
“In the coming years, we look forward to a new social responsibility strategy evaluation system as companies look to prove their mettle to investors and customers,” Hussain said.
The adoption of eligibility targets will encourage a new set of baseline sustainability measures across the Middle East and globally, he said.
While the region lags far behind the rest of the world in the amount of building renovation and reuse, the region has a unique opportunity to develop and implement sustainable measures for new projects, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
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