It was a great privilege to represent CIBSE at COP29 this year, and to be given the opportunity to contribute to global conversations on climate change and sustainability.
I was invited to speak at the ‘Sustainable cooling in a warming world’ event, hosted by the UK government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in the Blue Zone UK Pavilion. The event was opened by Kerry McCarthy MP, parliamentary under-secretary of state (minister for climate), who took part in the discussion on advancing climate action and sustainable practices across sectors.
During my address, I highlighted that, while we continue on the trajectory to achieve our net zero and decarbonisation targets, we also need to adapt to the climate impacts we are seeing right now, and those we anticipate in the future. Even if we achieved net zero tomorrow, the climate will continue to change until at least the middle of the century, with increases in temperatures and extreme weather events.
One of the challenges for the building industry is how to meet demand for cooling in the years to come. Reducing demand by implementing passive measures needs to be a priority in building design, construction and operation.
In the UK, regulatory requirements such as Part O of the Building Regulations have already introduced the need to assess overheating in new homes. This involves applying passive solutions, such as improved natural ventilation and shading, to mitigate the risk of overheating.
New homes are assessed for current and future climates, using a methodology developed by CIBSE (TM59), based on the UK Climate Projections. This increases the resilience of homes to current conditions and the anticipated impacts of climate change.
When passive measures may no longer suffice to keep buildings cool, we will need to consider sustainable cooling strategies powered by green energy. Technologies and strategies that we implement now (eg, heat pumps) should be able to evolve with the changing dynamic between heating and cooling demand. Sustainable cooling strategies are essential in avoiding further increases in carbon emissions and ensuring the resilience of buildings in a warming world.
In Baku, I urged engineers, the building industry and policy-makers to align their decarbonisation efforts. I also stressed the importance of assessing the climate risks and vulnerabilities of buildings and their occupants, and how addressing these risks is critical to adapting to the unavoidable changes in the climate.
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global leader of climate and energy at WWF, and Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of the Climate Change Committee, joined minister McCarthy in delivering their closing remarks. They praised the UK’s leadership in tackling climate change, underlined by the government’s recent commitment to cut emissions by 81%, compared with 1990 levels, by 2035.
Reducing demand by implementing passive measures needs to be a priority
I was also invited at COP29 to attend the Ministerial Roundtable on delivering the Global Cooling Pledge. This was launched at COP28, with more than 70 signatories committed to reducing cooling-related emissions by 68% by 2050, enhancing energy efficiency by 50% by 2030, and expanding access to sustainable cooling technologies. The roundtable addressed critical progress, gaps and next steps, including integrating cooling into Nationally Determined Contributions, improving monitoring systems, and capacity building.
Despite the cynicism and negative publicity that COP29 has received in the media, it does provide a unique opportunity for international networking and collaboration that would not be possible otherwise. Representatives from all over the world, researchers, organisations, and charities are innovating, collaborating and implementing life-changing initiatives.
My experience at COP29 highlighted CIBSE’s powerful global voice in shaping the future of sustainable building practices. As a leading advocate for climate resilience and decarbonisation in the built environment, the Institution is playing a pivotal role in driving the global conversation on climate action.
Through its influence and thought leadership, CIBSE is ensuring that the voices of engineers, designers and policy-makers are heard on the world stage, empowering the built environment to adapt to the changing climate and accelerate the transition to a net zero future.