We must take a global view

The conference and exhibition attracted global participation, but was particularly poignant this year as the Chinese government has set the environment high on its internal agenda. Through its Ministry of Construction it is now seeking affordable sustainable solutions for its construction industry rather than the iconic mega-projects that have dominated construction in China in recent years.

I was intrigued by the juxtaposition of the words “intelligent” and “green”. While the conference was focusing on building technologies and our inventiveness, innovation and ingenuity in deriving sustainable buildings for the future, intelligent and green succinctly describe the way in which we as professionals should be responding to environmental challenges at all levels.

The UK government’s policies on energy need an intelligent and green solution. But green should not mean merely renewable energy. It is most unlikely that we can meet 20%, even 10%, of our energy requirements from alternatives to fossil and nuclear fuels. For example, in the UK we are sitting on enough coal to supply our energy needs for possibly a century or more. Much of the coal would need to be gassified at source, trapping the CO2 as it is emitted and storing it back in the ground, a process know as sequestration which is used in the USA and Norway

However, much of our effort goes to waste unless these issues can be treated on a global basis. As I have mentioned, China has massive environmental problems to overcome but is serious about dealing with them. Recently, on a trip to the Gulf, there appeared to be no such commitment. Petrol is still dirt cheap; status seems to be derived from horse power and the length of your wheel-base; and development is as much for its novelty value as anything – desert ski slopes in temperatures of 40oC plus for example.

By 2007 most of the world’s population will be considered urban. To build a sustainable future “intelligent” and “green” must be the essence of sound professional reason.