Issue 246  | 20 September 2021
18-26 September
express

COP 26, Glasgow, Scotland: 1 to 12 November 2021
ABC Carbon Express x 6
"Over bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: 'Too late...'" The words of Martin Luther King, quoted in the introduction of Ken Hickson's 2009 book "The ABC of Carbon", coming available as an e-book or in limited edition print. (Photo by Wall Street Journal.)
No.1 Issue: The Heat Goes On. On and On.
Just to be different. Just to reinforce the narrative. We present you with a few recent headlines gleaned from our daily newspaper reading in the last week or two:
  • Swiss expert bears witness to melting of Alpine glaciers
  • Heat wave, wildfires fan water 'renaissance' in California
  • Is Climate Change an economic crisis?
  • European power business still depend on coal, despite their green schemes
  • Australia to keep mining coal, despite climate warning
  • America's great climate migration begins
  • Investors can tap opportunities amid green revolution in S-E Asia
But this one takes the cake, so we give you more of the story:
  • Climate Change: World now sees twice as many days over 50c.
The number of extremely hot days every year when the temperature reaches 50C has doubled since the 1980s, a global BBC analysis has found. They also now happen in more areas of the world than before, presenting unprecedented challenges to human health and to how we live. The total number of days above 50C has increased in each decade since 1980. On average, between 1980 and 2009, temperatures passed 50C about 14 days a year. The number rose to 26 days a year between 2010 and 2019. "The increase can be 100% attributed to the burning of fossil fuels," says Dr Friederike Otto, associate director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford. What more is there to say? We fear that Governments - like in the US and Australia - seem to be powerless to make the transformative changes that are needed, or they're still under the influence of the the fossil fuel lobby. We hope and trust that business will step up, like never before, to do what governments are reluctant to do. Read the rest of what we have to say this week. - Ken Hickson
No.2: Huge Step Backwards for Sustainable Construction in London and United Kingdom
Earlier this month, the Greater London Authority (GLA) announced a set of conditions for providers applying for cash from its new £3.46 billion Affordable Housing Programme, including not using combustible materials in any external walls. Architects and timber bodies argue that applying those conditions will further restrict the use of timber products at a time when the industry should be turning to low-carbon and replenishable materials. Australian practising Architect Ran Boydell, who now lectures in sustainable development in Scotland says “The UK construction sector is finally starting to embrace sustainability, with reduction of embodied carbon recognised as critical. Given that, the recent ban on the use of timber for any project funded through London’s Affordable Housing Programme is deeply conflicted. The Lord Mayor has set the ambition for London to be zero carbon by 2030." Read more here.
No.3:  2021 Global Investor Statement to Governments on the Climate Crisis
587 investors managing $46 trillion in assets urge governments to undertake five priority actions to accelerate climate investment before COP26.  In the run-up to the most consequential United Nations climate change conference in years, and on the heels of another urgent warning from the world’s leading scientists, a record number of 587 investors with US$46 trillion in assets under management are urging governments to rapidly implement five priority policy actions that will allow them to invest the trillions needed to respond to the climate crisis. This from the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change. Read more here.
No.4: Murders of Environment and Land Defenders Hit Record High in 2020
Murders of environment and land defenders hit a record high in 2020 as the violent resource grab in the global south continued unabated despite the pandemic. New figures released by Global Witness show that 227 people were killed while trying to protect forests, rivers and other ecosystems that their livelihoods depended on. All but one of the deadly attacks took place outside North America, Europe and Oceania. The worst offending countries were Columbia, Mexico, Philippines and Brazil. The authors say environment-related conflict is, like the climate crisis, disproportionately affecting lower-income nations. Indigenous communities suffered more than a third of the killings, despite accounting for only 5% of the world population. In instances where defenders were attacked for protecting particular ecosystems, 70% were working to defend the world’s forests from deforestation and industrial development. In Brazil and Peru, nearly three quarters of recorded attacks took place in the Amazon region of each country. Read the Guardian for more.

No 5: Global Coal Reserves must be left Untouched, if the World is to Seriously Cut Emissions and Limit Global Warming.
Even as European power companies report ever greener long term transformation plans, they are planning to burn more coal in the near term, writes John Dizard in the Financial Times (4 September). The reason? The price of carbon emission allowances have not risen as sharply as those for coal or gas. He quotes the case of Uniper, the German power generation giant, which is closing or mothballing) coal facilities, but for many other coal producers it's business as usual. In spite of Europe’s renewable energy leadership, the United Kingdom is turning a blind eye to Australia’s plan to continue to produce and export coal. It won’t let that get in the way of an important trade agreement! Even when researchers warned in a study published in the journal Nature last week that 89% of global coal reserves -- and 95% of Australia's share -- must be left untouched, if we are to achieve any serious emission reduction to limit global warming at all. Read more.
No.6: Powering ASEAN's Energy Transition: To Come Clean, Fuel Subsides Must be Phased Out
The EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) last month published a report on Powering ASEAN’s Energy Transition. Representing the interests of the European business community across Southeast Asia, the report notes that as ASEAN’s energy demands continue to increase, the region remains heavily dependent on highly polluting fossil fuels, with around 80% of its current energy mix coming from such sources. We talked to Chris Humphrey, Executive Director of EU-ABC on the challenges ahead for ASEAN's road to the energy transition. He draws attention to the call to governments to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, which are not happening fast enough to advance renewable energy in the region. The exceptions are Vietnam and Singapore. EU-ABC needs to acknowledge that the private sector has been much more active than the public sector in funding renewable energy projects regionally, with pioneering initiatives from Armstrong Asset Management, The Blue Circle, Intraco and Sindacatum. See Ken Hickson's 2018 article What's in the Wind for Southeast Asia.
ABC Carbon is Media Partner for Singapore International Energy Week 2021
Focus on Forests: Eight of the Best
ONE: Six Finalists from Asia Pacific in line for WAF-PEFC Prize for Best Use of Certified Timber

The World Architecture Festival (WAF) has unveiled the eight finalists for this year’s Best Use of Certified Timber Prize, supported by PEFC, with six from Asia Pacific. Two finalists are from Australia and one each from Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan and Hong Kong/China. There were 22 built environment projects entered, spreading from the Americas and Europe to Africa, Asia and Oceania. Pictured is the architect/finalist Shau Indonesia with their entry "Microlibrary Warak Kayu" in the civic and community category. This December, PEFC and WAF will award the prize for the third time. Go here to see which projects were shortlisted.

TWO: How to be homed, housed & comfortably safe?

Only if your furniture is responsibly sourced and certified, reads the headline of the article by Ken Hickson in the latest issue of Panels and Furniture Asia. So how can consumers be more certain about the origin of the furniture they purchase? At the same time, how can we contribute positively towards climate change mitigation and the preservation of forests, supporting natural ecosystems, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity? The message from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is clear: one way is to purchase sustainably sourced wooden furniture, as that would also go a long way towards protecting the livelihoods of millions of people. Read the rest here.

THREE: How Paper Can Stay Ahead in the Recycling and Sustainability Stakes


When Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu visited Epson’s Singapore headquarters earlier this month, she drew attention to the new PaperLab product, the world’s first dry process office paper making system. “PaperLab also ensures that sensitive corporate information is destroyed securely on site as waste office paper is up-cycled directly in the office", Ms Fu said. “Such breakthroughs in technology and design can help us get closer to our aim of reducing waste", according to the Minister. As we were present on this important occasion, we saw for ourselves various products and machines being demonstrated. No doubt Epson’s PaperLab produces very high-quality paper and it uses little water in the process, but it does seem to produce much more waste. Ken Hickson asks “Is this the most efficient way to recycle paper and cut waste?”
FOUR: Eco Futurists and Environmental Sustainability

Professor Andrew Lowe, of the University of Adelaide, Australia, is well known for using DNA fingerprinting for the detection of forest crime - wearing his Chief Sustainability Officer hat for Double Helix Tracking Technologies - but he's definitely got his fingers in many more pies. Just to show his versatility, he's started a new podcast, where he speaks to scientific experts, industry leaders, artists, adventurers, and committed personalities who make connections in their local and global communities, making life on earth a priority in their grand plans. They are the Eco Futurists. Here's the first podcast. And here's something we might have missed in a previous issue:  On the "Sustainable Singapore" programme on SPH Radio, Rhianne Lovell-Boland speaks with Darren Thomas, Co-founder & CEO of DoubleHelix, who shares how it all works and what more needs to be done to increase sustainable forest management. Listen up.
FIVE: Early Adopters Show That Sustainable Rubber Certification Works

Natural rubber represents a USD 300 billion supply chain. Most of this rubber is produced by independent smallholders in Southeast Asia, on the borders of some of the world’s most ecologically important forest areas. Sourcing this rubber sustainably helps protect these forests and is a necessary step towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals before 2030. Sustainable forest management and chain of custody certification are relatively new for the rubber industry. But early adopters are already on the move. PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, has piloted certification for both natural rubber and rubberwood across Southeast Asia. You can join the webinar on Sustainable Rubber on 22 September.
SIX: Timber Roof is Fine Finishing Touch for Historic Changi Chapel

The Changi Chapel and Museum is impressive in more ways than one. Now we've seen it for ourselves and it's finally open to the public after a two year and a half year closure for extensive rebuilding, you can find lots of fascinating stories and gems inside the museum. You can't miss though, the eye-catching new timber roof. Designed by Architects SG LLP and built with “Glulam” – glue-laminated engineered wood - by Venturer Timberwork, the new structure is the first certified Chain of Custody Project awarded in Singapore by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). It's also the first time a sophisticated supply chain traceability process has been used by Double Helix Tracking Technologies to identify the source of timber. Sourcemap was used to track the journey of the wood used in this project from forest to installation. Read more about it here.
SEVEN: Timber is the Coolest Way to Reduce Built Environment Emissions
Associate Professor Winston Chow, who researches and educates on physical processes, impacts, and mitigation of urban heat islands and sustainable urban climatology, speaks out on the "cooling qualities" of timber when interviewed by Ken Hickson at the Singapore Sustainability Academy this week. Dr Chow, a contributor in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), admits that more attention must be paid to "embodied carbon" and the Urban Heat Island effect when addressing the Built Environment's contribution to global emissions, which amounts to 39%. He advocates the greater use of timber in buildings and points to the Academy, which was the first building in Singapore to have its construction materials - Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam) from Venturer Timberwork - verified by the Nature’s BarcodeTM as coming from responsible sources.
EIGHT: Stop Press!

  • Net Zero Carbon Commitment to include Embodied Carbon. Ahead of COP26 - and in line with Protiotype/ABC Carbon's call leading up to the London Design Festival - the World Green Building Council announced last week it is updating its Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment to include bold new requirements for addressing embodied emissions. Read more here.

  • As Buildings Account for 39% of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, that's an Opportunity for Investors, reports CNBC. Investing in sustainable buildings could offer a real solution to reducing emissions in one of the world’s most polluting sectors, said Taronga Ventures, an investment firm focused on sustainable innovation and tech. Almost one-third (28%) of the global total (39%) is the result of running buildings — referred to as operational emissions - while 11% comes from building materials and construction. CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” Friday.

  • Emissions Mass Tiumber Housing Company Brings Productisation to Built Environment Apple's former design director BJ Siegel has recently established a mass-timber housing company named Juno. In this exclusive interview, he explains how it aims to design housing like it is a product. Architect Siegel, who worked for 19 years designing Apple stores – most recently as senior design director of real estate and development – believes that Juno can create housing that dispels people's preconceptions about modular buildings. Dezeen magazine has the story.
The Art of Travel: SevenTimes Over!
I. Read all about Floyd Cowan's adventures as he embarks on his first travel experience in more than a year and how he coped with "lockdown" measures at home and abroad. Floyd is Publisher and Editor in Chief of Asian Journeys. We're looking forward to holding in our hands another print issue of this wonderful travel magazine, but meantime read all you can online.
II. What's on at the London Design Festival, 18 - 26 September?

In collaboration, Tin Drum, the world’s leading mixed reality studio and technology developer, and acclaimed Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto will premiere a new Mixed Reality installation Architecture + Reality (A+R) at the V&A. Natural and architectural features (pictured) will slowly morph and evolve based on the movement of audiences in the space, creating an almost living design that indicates the interrelation of all things and prompts thought about climate change, the role of nature in modern life and designed space.In a first for London Design Festival, each of the city's 10 design districts will be celebrated with a unique sculptural waymarker or Designposts, created by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and furniture makers Benchmark have teamed up with 10 of the most exciting talents of the emerging design generation. Read more.
III. Insights & images in the Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine

Resurgence & Ecologist brings the art of sustainability to its readers, as much as it does words of wisdom for people and the planet. The image we share by Steffen Kraft is typical. It illustrates the article on Tree Equity by Julia Travers. The latest issue, which I have just had delivered to my Singapore mailbox, contains a wealth of current and inspirational content on climate change action, environmental causes and the arts. Why don't you become a member of the Resurgence Trust and get the magazine for yourself. In print and in the post. Or in your regular email inbox. Go here for much, much more.
IV. Stella McCartney Leads the Sustainability Charge for Fashion

The fashion media are quick to hail the sustainability credentials of Stella McCartney. Besides banning all products and materials that come from animals, she also insists that "the viscose and other forest-based fabrics that we use are never from ancient and endangered forests or other controversial sources". She also provides a high standard that the rest of the fashion industry should start to adopt. "We are committed to reducing our waste and use of raw materials and increasing our innovation of repurposed, recycled and regenerated alternatives....we are closing the loops and establishing a new, circular economy-based precedent for the fashion industry."
V. The Art of Sustainability and Silver Arts Festival for Singapore
  • Silver Arts advocates the meaningful possibilities seniors have in the arts. Organised by the National Arts Council since 2012, Silver Arts is an annual Festival that highlights the significance of arts engagement in enhancing the well-being of seniors and people around them. Celebrate the 10th edition of Silver Arts with us from September to December 2021! Themed “TENacity”, this year’s hybrid edition of the Festival forefronts the messages of hope and continued possibilities, exemplified by seniors and the arts community in these difficult times. See what's in the four month long programme.
  • Meanwhile, also consider what Sacha Kagan has up his sleeve. He introduced us to the concept of bringing together Art and Sustainability some time ago when he visited Singapore and spoke/wrote about how we must "Let artists shape a resilient city". You're too late to join the event on 14 September, when the CREATE Centre hosted the ninth in its series of OnCons, when Sacha Kagan was a key panelist. It was curated by CREATE Member and HDR Huddler, Assoc. Prof. Mary Ann Hunter from the University of Tasmania. Go here to access the recording or join the next one on 23 September.
VI. Don't Feel Guilty When Attending Singapore Writers Festival 2021

That's the theme to attract attention and festival director Pooja Nansi might just achieve that as the 2021 will be a hybrid event. Unlike last year, we'll get the chance to meet and listen to some real authors - face to face - and even get to line-up to get a book or two signed in person. That's always one of the big attractions of writers festivals. Who'll be there? Award-winning children's horror story writer, R.L. Stine; T.S. Eliot Prize-winning poet, Ocean Vuong; beloved host of Queer Eye and author of bestseller Naturally Tan, Tan France; critically acclaimed screenwriter and novelist Yan Geling; host of MasterChef Singapore and Chef-owner at Artichoke, Bjorn Shen; author of Wet Market To Table and founder of Singapore Noodles, Pamelia Chia. And many more. Read all about it.
Venue, once again., for the Singapore Writers Festival will be The Arts House. It is currently a multi-disciplinary arts venue which plays host to art exhibitions and concerts. Built in 1827, the Old Parliament House is the oldest government building and perhaps the oldest surviving building in Singapore. Read all about it here.
VII. Renewed Focus on the Singapore Shophouse
 
There are more than 6,500 conserved shophouses in Singapore, says the URA. Built between the early-1800s and mid1900s, these heritage buildings continue to be an important part of our cityscape and serve as a link to our past. In the contemporary landscape, many of them have been adapted to new uses. It is important that works to them do not change their architecture. As Ken Hickson - and ABC Carbon - is involved with a group of architects and designers, who’ve come up with a smart and sustainable shophouse which is being shown at the London Design Festival, we decided to draw attention to this important Singapore institution. See also the book by Julian Davison called Singapore Shophouse.
Meet Jane Iyer in action as a tour organiser and guide. Check out Jane’s Tours for a shophouse experience. 
Protiotype Design Future Build
at the London Design Festival
An artist's impression of “Protiotype 21-S”, a six storey shophouse concept positioned in Geylang, Singapore, from a video created by Race Krehel and Taketo Kobayashi of METAMO Industries, which aims to change the way people think of art and technology.
Protiotype Built Environment Initiative
Promotes Timber & Whole Life Carbon
Just as London introduced more stringent conditions for the use of timber in buildings - described by architects and builders as a ‘huge step backwards’ for sustainable construction - Singapore announced last week new standards to address “embodied carbon”, encouraging more use of Mass Engineered Timber (MET) to replace steel and concrete. Whole Life Carbon (WLC) is already factored into Protiotype’s Design Future Build initiative from Singapore - involving an international team of experts – which has produced a design of a six storey shophouse redevelopment, which will feature at the London Design Festival, running from 18 to 26 September.  Singapore-based Gregory Cornelius, Founder and Producer of the Protiotype project, says: “Timber is at the heart of our design, because we know it works effectively to reduce embodied carbon in the structure of buildings, large and small, all over the world. We’ve also had the benefit of advice and support from Kevin Hill of Venturer Timberwork, who is an acknowledged global expert in building with MET." See what Protiotype 21-S has lined up for the London Design Festival.
Partners for Protiotype Design Future Build 2021:
Andre Wee has brought to life A.B. and C as a new cover design for Ken's Hickson's 2009 book - which is about to be re-issued as an e-book and in a limited edition print version - and to feature in Protiotype's Design Future Build exhibit and website. See Design Notes for the London Design Festival. If ABC Carbon subscribers/readers would like to enquire about, or order, one or more copies of the book, please email kenhickson@abccarbon.com. The 584 page book, with the new Andre Wee cover, is expected to retail for US$50 (or S$68) for the limited edition print version, or US$25 (or S$34) for the ebook. Delivery costs will be extra. Finally, hear what Ken Hickson has to say to Sanjoy Sanyal in this New Ventures Podcast last month: What can Singapore tell us about urban sustainability?