AESG launches ‘Pathway to Net Zero’ design tool
Move is part of the firm’s commitment to furthering the net zero agenda
AESG has launched a new ‘Pathway to Net Zero’ tool that’s designed to define and evaluate the options available for reducing the embodied and operational Carbon footprint of buildings. The tool is said to provide the firm’s clients with an optional pathway to achieving net zero carbon buildings.
Earlier this year, the firm became a signatory to the World Green Building Council’s ‘Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment’.
With buildings contributing upwards of 40% of global CO2 emissions, the widescale adoption of net zero principles by the sector has the potential to reduce worldwide emission by up to 43% within the next decade, the firm said. AESG also cautioned that perceived costs, extreme climatic conditions and a general lack of expertise in design and implementation are currently key factors incumbering net zero projects in the Middle East.
The specialist consultancy notes that by applying its new Pathway to Net Zero tool free of charge to all its design projects from 2020 onwards, it hopes to address most misconceptions around the concept and incentivise its clients.
“Much of the resistance to change can be eliminated by providing developers with a clear picture of their journey to net zero, the short-term investments it will entail, and the many long-term operational and commercial benefits they’re likely to enjoy. As industry leaders within sustainable development, and a signatory to the WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, AESG acknowledges its responsibility to facilitating a more sustainable future. We hope that by providing a convenient and well-defined pathway to net zero on all our projects, we will be able to stimulate the transition to decarbonising the construction sector,” said Phillipa Grant, head of Energy & Sustainable Development at AESG.
The firm says it has followed key industry standards in the development of its tool including EN standards for the embodied carbon assessment, as well as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) standards for the operational carbon assessment. The tool assesses buildings based on a myriad of factors such as the typology and planned usage, and location and size, along with any additional project requirements specified during the briefing stage.
As per the statement, AESG has successfully provided construction support for the Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 (destined to be a net zero building), and enabled Multiplex to achieve nearly zero energy consumption at its construction site offices. Based on its track record, AESG says it is confident of its Pathway to Net Zero tool’s applicability to all design projects that it provides services for.
