EmiratesGBC, an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bionova Ltd., a Finland based specialist in construction carbon and the developer of One Click LCA Planetary, a free embodied carbon tool to help decarbonise the global construction sector. The two entities also organised a webinar on ‘embodied carbon and tackling lifecycle emissions in the MENA region.’
According to Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, buildings and the construction sector accounted for nearly 39 per cent of energy and process-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2018 out of which 28 per cent came from operational carbon and 11 per cent came from energy used to produce buildings and construction materials – which is generally described as embodied carbon. Reduction of embodied carbon plays an important role in sustainable development.
The partnership will further support the UAE government’s commitment to achieve 100 per cent Net Zero Carbon buildings by 2050. Through the partnership, Bionova’s One Click LCA Planetary tool, is available for free in the UAE, and can be used to create and compare the cradle-to-gate embodied carbon impacts (A1-A3) and material efficiency of different design options, different materials, manufacturers and products.
H.E. Dr. Ali Al Jassim, Chairman of Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), said: “EmiratesGBC is committed to adding value to our members and other stakeholders in the construction sector to promote sustainability best practices in the UAE. Our partnership with Bionova Ltd. further highlights our commitment to establishing the UAE as a global leader in sustainable construction practices. One Click LCA Planetary software by Bionova is a value-add for all stakeholders of the construction industry as it allows project teams to calculate and mitigate embodied carbon emissions, which is among the key contributors to buildings’ emissions. Our partnership will help the industry to transform the construction sector with low carbon design, construction and manufacturing practices.”
The webinar on embodied carbon highlighted that calculating lifecycle emissions is an essential driver for carbon reduction. The session also presented an overview of the global impact of embodied carbon and how the MENA region can start progressing towards a net zero carbon future. It covered the capabilities of One Click LCA Planetary, which is offered free-of-charge in the UAE as part of the partnership with EmiratesGBC. Webinar speakers included Panu Pasanen, CEO, Bionova Ltd., Graham Devlin, Operations Coordinator for One Click LCA Planetary, Bionova Ltd., and Aditi Chitnis, Business Developer (LCA & EPD), Bionova Ltd. View the webinar here.