Tomorrow's Timber & Focus on Forests |
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Time's 100 Greatest Places
& The Art of Travel
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No.1 Issue: If the Built Environment is Responsible for 40% of Global Emissions, What's Being Done to Fix it?
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As the northern hemisphere world swelters with off-the-chart temperatures, forest fires rage out of control - even in Siberia - and floods reek havoc in Europe and China, we ask a legitimate question: what's being done to seriously reduce emissions in the built environment sector, which, by most counts, is responsible for 40% of global emissions of greenhouse gases? This is much more than all the emissions put together for global transport - air, sea, road and rail - which gets much more attention. We learn about an upcoming event organised by the UNEP and GABC on Thursday 29 July focusing on the built environment track of the Human Settlements climate action pathway. It calls for actions to be taken to accelerate the transition to a net-zero carbon, healthy and resilient built environment. The World Green Business Council has been telling us for some time what needs to be done to not only address energy emissions, but embodied carbon in buildings. In the US, Carbon Leadership Forum, says more is being done in North America to address embodied carbon, while the European Union's latest decarbonisation plan certainly aims to address the imported carbon in building materials. For our part, ABC Carbon is joining forces with Protiotype to herald a Design Future Build concept, which will be revealed at the London Design Festival in September, in advance of Cop 26 in November. There's more, so read on. - Ken Hickson
Pictured above: Just one view of flood damage to the built environment in Germany. (AP Photo)
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No.2: "Earth, Wind & Fire" or Wet, Wet, Wet" How Popular Bands Can Help us Reflect Mindfully on Climate Change Impacts
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Not to make light of the dreadful disasters the world has been experiencing in the last month or so, but we have to - sometimes, at least - lighten the load on our minds. Headline in the Straits Times read: "Facing fear in a climate crisis". It tells us that Professors Elissa Epel and Philippe Goldin conducting a workshop entitled "Climate Distress to Climate Action" at the Asia Pacific Mindfulness Conference from 14 to 29 August. More advice? Read widely. Real books. Write a letter. Send a post card or two. Spend less time on the screen - computer and phone. Drive your car less. Use public transport. Take a walk in the park. Turn your air conditioning off. Eat less red meat. Create less waste. Recycle more. Cutting back on your own carbon footprint might make you feel a lot better. After-all, scientists have been warning us about climate change for years. It should come as no surprise when the world gets warning of the magnitude we're having these days. But don't let it get you down. Come clean and encourage others to act - Governments and businesses, too. Ravi Menon, the head of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has some helpful advice too. Read more.
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No.3: Climate Change is Indiscriminate. Buildings are Vulnerable
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Buildings are vulnerable to climate change impacts no matter where in the world they are, and if anything, the modern buildings of developed countries have more things in them that can go wrong than simpler traditional structures. This is the timely and sensible conclusion to Ran Boydell's article, which first appeared on 3 July in The Conversation with the headline: "Most buildings were designed for an earlier climate – here’s what will happen as global warming accelerates" and was republished in the Straits Times on 8 July. "The only option is to begin adapting buildings to meet the changing parameters in which they are operating. The sooner we begin retrofitting existing buildings and constructing new ones that can withstand climate change, the better." We've been in touch with Ran Boydell, who lives in Glasgow, Scotland. No doubt he will find a way to contribute to the COP 26 event taking place there from 1 November. He's also offered to share more with us and assist in any way he can with the Protiotype-ABC Carbon project for the London Design Festival in September. Pictured is the Miami Beach building collapse - Reuters/BBC News photo - referred to in the Ran Boydell article.
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No.4: Alpha Biofuels Paves the Way for the Global Maritime Industry to Reduce CO2 & Life Cycle Emissions
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A bulk carrier has successfully sailed from Singapore to South Africa on biodiesel converted from used cooking oil. This reduced the vessel's carbon dioxide emissions by 5%, raising the prospect of such alternative fuels powering large ships. Clement Yong had the story in Straits Times on 10 July. The Singapore company responsible for this shipping fuel revolution was Alpha Biofuel, which has been working on converting Used Cooking Oil (UCO) as a transport fuel - Biodiesel fuel (BDF) - for some years. Allan Lim, CEO and co-founder of Alpha Biofuels, is pictured with Jack Ling, COO and co-Founder. Meanwhile, Audrey Tan reported in the Straits Times on 28 July how Singapore plans to keep its marine and offshore engineering sector buoyant, by boosting its competitiveness and to account for disruptors such as Covid-19 and climate change. For carbon capture and utilisation the Republic is looking into converting carbon dioxide into waste-based feedstock or natural minerals that can be used to produce aggregates for reclamation or building materials. Ken Hickson has the full story on Alpha Biofuels, UCO to BDF here.
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No 5: In Perspective: Singapore-EU Relations, Climate Action Plan, Carbon Border Tax, Plus 10 point Plan for Reaching Net Zero
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We often claim that Europe is leading the way - that's the European Union plus the United Kingdom - when it comes to taking purposeful and productive action on climate change. In mid July, the EU rolled out an ambitious climate plan to transform every corner of its economy and braced for years of tough negotiations to turn it into reality, reports Bloomberg. Every industry will be forced to accelerate its shift away from fossil fuels in order to cut pollution by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. Reuters focusses on the world’s first carbon border tax, on imports of carbon-intensive steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers and electricity, as part of a programme to meet its new climate target. Then we always take note of what the EU Ambassador to Singapore has to say and here's the farewell message from Barbara Plinkert to Singapore. In the end, the Economist Intelligence Unit has identified the ten most pressing pain points for businesses and outlined the key actions required for net-zero plans to be successful. Read all about it.
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No.6: Neste Fuels IAG Cargo Aircraft with Sustainable Bio Fuels |
IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group, completed its first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) charter chain of 16 flights from Stuttgart to Atlanta late June. Working with their partner Kuehne+Nagel, IAG Cargo sourced 1.2 million litres of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ from Neste. This collaboration marks the first time ever that passenger-freighter charter flights are operated with net-zero carbon emissions.The last of the British Airways B787-900 flights left Stuttgart on 26 June destined for Atlanta via London Heathrow. Read more.
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No.7: Renewed Focus on Embodied Carbon in "Green Buildings" |
In reinforcing the built environment's excessive contribution of global emissions, the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) admits that a building's embodied carbon emissions are often overlooked. It explains that embodied carbon emissions are associated with the full supply chain of all materials and systems put into any building and cannot be improved over the lifetime of a building, unlike operational carbon emissions. So SGBC is launching the Singapore Built Environment Embodied Carbon Pledge to help unify and amplify industry action. Together with the Real Estate Developers Association of Singapore (REDAS), SGBC is hosting the inaugural Green Real Estate Trends Conference 2021, over two mornings (5-6 August 2021), to provide holistic and actionable pathways to accelerate sustainability objectives towards a low-carbon future. While we're on the subject, let's alert you to the next International Built Environment Week (IBEW) scheduled to be held in Singapore - virtually we're afraid - from 7 to 10 September. Illustration from Building Green.
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No.8: Accelerating Clean Energy Adoption in Asia Through Partnerships & Innovation
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Renewable energy as the primary energy supply is expected to grow from 14% to 74% in 2050. According to IRENA's World Energy Transitions Outlook 2021, this requires an eight-fold increase in annual growth. As the world grapples with the effects of COVID-19, it is imperative not to lose track and keep pursuing the decarbonisation of our energy system. We need to develop clear policies, leverage new technology innovation in renewables, electric mobility, and most importantly, accelerate investments in clean energy. In this webinar, speakers will share insights on the energy transition outlook and ways to accelerate clean energy adoption through partnership and innovation. This will be covered in the next SIEW webinar on 24 August, in advance of this year's Singapore International Energy Week later in October. Go here to learn more and register for the webinar.
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ABC Carbon is Media Partner for Singapore International Energy Week 2021 |
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Focus on Forests: Seven of the Best |
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ONE: Mass Engineered Timber Heralds Arrival of the Next Building Revolution
Timber is in the news everywhere. For all the right reasons. And it’s difficult to avoid running into tall stories about Mass Engineered Timber (MET) and buildings made entirely of wood. Of course, there will be the naysayers who come up with all the reasons why wood is not so good – for the environment, for fire safety, for its added cost. But when you believe in timber as the best material for building – as PEFC obviously does – it’s good to read what Pablo van der Lugt has to say, and show, in "Tomorrow’s Timber". It all goes to illustrate what the author calls “the next building revolution”. Read the tall story on timber by Ken Hickson.
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TWO: Sustainable Furniture Supply Chain & Responsible Procurement Roadmap
ASEAN Furniture Industries Council (AFIC) and PEFC are starting on a strategic four-year sustainability roadmap to promote furniture supply chain sustainability and responsible procurement. The partnership will help improve sustainable forest management outcomes and protect the natural resources upon which we all depend, including biodiversity, watersheds, and the climate. “We welcome the opportunity to work with PEFC on a four-year project, helping our member associations and companies better understand the benefits of working with certified wood sources,” said Nicolaas K. de Lange, AFIC Secretary General. Read more
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THREE: Double Helix on the Move with 13 Locations
Darren Thomas, co-Founder and CEO of Double Helix Tracking Technologies - the first company in Singapore to be accredited to PEFC's timber certification scheme by the Singapore Accreditation Council - relocated back to the United Kingdom last month from where he will continue to manage the global business. Singapore-based Jomaine Tang is promoted to Regional Manager Asia Pacific after serving the company for four years, most recently as Quality Assurance Manager. DoubleHelix now has a total of 23 staff and contractors in 13 locations, including Singapore, United Kingdom, Australia, North America, Central Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.
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FOUR: Traceability is Worth its Weight in Gold & Royal Oak!
Short DNA reference markers that are found even in fragmented DNA were used to identify the species of oak in samples,” explains Professor Andrew Lowe, at the University of Adelaide and Chief Scientific Officer of DoubleHelix, referencing how the unique DNA extraction protocol was used to authenticate this Royal Oak Bed. The same four-poster Oak bed, which one expert has called England's most important piece of furniture, could even have been where one of its kings, Henry VIII, was conceived. We are convinced that “traceability is worth its weight in gold”, whether it’s to verify the European oak that featured in the 500-year-old Royal bed – reputedly worth £20 million (S$40 million) - or to detect illegally logged timber from Asia, America or Africa. DoubleHelix has tracked and traced them all. Read more about treasuring Oak
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FIVE: Impressive Timber Structure Features in Latest Issue "Wood in Architecture"
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SIX: Watching Six Timber Pavilions Take Shape in Jurong Lake Gardens
See more of Kevin Hill's drone photography of these wooden structures taking shape at National Park’s Jurong Lake Gardens. It’s been 25 years since he built National Park’s Botanic Gardens' Visitors Centre. Since then, there’s been a great deal of evolution, according to Kevin, especially on the sustainability front. More will be shared when Venturer launches its new YouTube channel soon. Meantime, go to Linkedin for more visuals.
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SEVEN: The Future of Print is Sustainability |
The Print and Media Industry is showing all the signs of turning to sustainability in more ways than one. The latest Print Singapore magazine extols the virtues of sustainable printing inks, that the key to the future of print is sustainability and - perhaps best of all – runs a two-page feature headed ”Sustainability at the Heart of Book on Celebrating and Transforming Lives”. Contributed by Floyd Cowan, Editor/Publisher of the Asian Journeys magazine. This was made possible by Genevieve Chua, CEO of OVOL, which not only sponsors the paper for Print Singapore “from responsible forestry”, but also made sure the book was printed by PEFC-certified Times Printers on two different PEFC-certified papers, supplied by OVOL: Gold East from APP and Paperone from April. Read more here.
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The Art of Travel: Six Times Over! |
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I. World's 100 Greatest Places, according to Time Magazine
We were alerted to the latest Time Magazine cover by Kevin Hill of Venturer Timberwork, who pointed out that the Maldives resort which he constructed – in PEFC certified timber, of course – featured among the World’s 100 Greatest Places. See for yourself! If your eyesight is good, you’ll spot a small “necklace” shape in the cover illustration by Katherine Baxter. (Definitely a finalist in The Art of Travel annual awards – yet to be organised!) That’s the man-made archipelago hosting the Patina Maldives and the associated Ritz Carlton Maldives. A story about it is on page 58. Go to the Time double issue Aug 2-Aug 9 2021 for much more. Or buy a copy like we did!
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II. A Quiet Achiever and Global Aviation Visionary
It’s not often that a book gets a comprehensive review seven years after it went on sale. But that’s exactly what Floyd Cowan did with “Mr SIA-Fly Past” (by Ken Hickson) in Asian Journeys a few weeks ago. Headlined “A quiet achiever puts SIA in its place” , Floyd’s review draws attention to the relevance today to the work and vision of Lim Chin Beng, who was the founding Managing Director of Singapore Airlines (SIA) for ten years from its start in 1972 and went on to serve as its Deputy Chairman for many more years. Read the rest of the review here.
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III. New Book on the Remarkable Lion City
The Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore is organising a preview/webinar on 10 August to discuss the book called “Lion City” by Jeevan Vasagar, a former Singapore correspondent for the Financial Times. He takes us through the intricate history, present and future of this unique diamond-shaped island one degree north of the equator, where new and old have remained connected. He has written a personal, insightful and essential guide to the city, and how its remarkable rise has shaped East Asia and the world. See more here,
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IV. Theatre is a Labour of Love, says Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber |
Henry Mace Interviewed Andrew Lloyd Webber in FT Weekend 17 July. I have a copy of the newspaper, but I’m not allowed to share the story. Get it if you can. Here's an important piece:
Which brings us to Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Britain’s oldest theatre site still in use. Andrew Lloyd Webber bought it in 2000; he has now spent £60m to revive it. You could buy several other West End theatres for that amount of money. This is a project so grand, so permanent, that it will give him a victory over the naysayers. “I don’t think anybody’s done anything of this scale to a theatre of this kind for years and years,” he says. “It’s been a labour of love.” The only recent comparison is the £50m renovation of the Royal Opera House, financed by 15 philanthropists. Go to FT for more.
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V. Shakespeare, Completely
Three actors. 37 plays. 97 minutes. Experience Shakespeare like never before, as Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) presents London’s longest-running comedy, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). An irreverent, fast-paced romp through the best bits of the Bard’s plays. From Elizabethan England, to a power station in Pasir Panjang, watch as three actors weave their wicked way through all of Shakespeare’s 37 comedies, histories, and tragedies in one wild 97-minute ride that will leave you breathless with laughter. Postponed due to pandemic restrictions, the show has been rescheduled to go on late October. Go to SRT for more.
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VI. Singapore Fashion Show
See the Asian Civilisation Museum's first display of contemporary Singapore fashion, exploring creative practice in the context of Asia’s cultural heritage. Branded #SGFASHIONNOW, the exhibition was conceived in collaboration with LASALLE College of the Arts’ School of Fashion and the Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFF). Designers featured: Baëlf Design, Carol Chen, Andrew Gn, LAICHAN, Ong Shunmugam, Studio HHFZ, Stylemart, Time Taken to Make a Dress. Go to ACM for more.
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Last Word:
Global Momentum for Built Environment Design, Instrumental in Addressing Climate Change
If buildings and the construction industry account for 39% (or even 40%) of global emissions of greenhouse gases, what’s being done to bring about real change and, at the same time, meet the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit?
Not enough, according to Greg Cornelius of Protiotype Design Science (Singapore), who advocates “urgent activation of the necessary instruments to transform the built environment.”
Read all about what Greg and his team are doing to come up with sustainable and smart solutions for the Built Environment.
See who's supporting this innovative project, which will see the light of day at the London Design Festival in September.
There are a few good reasons why it should also be showcased at the Cop 26, the UN climate change conference in Glasgow in November. Read all about it.
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