We once believed that fossils fuels were a wonderful thing for the human race and over the last 2-300 years, we indulged ourselves by drawing down the reserves that nature had laid down over millions of years before we, as a species, arrived. We call it coal, oil and gas ‘production’ but it has of course been ‘extraction’, claimed by us without charge. We have demanded that this free ‘bounty’ is as cheap as possible and we have been happily profligate in our use of it. Of course, nothing comes for nothing and the consequence has been an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases and the heating of the earth itself, the results of which are now unfolding at a rapid rate.
What are the critical challenges we face going forward?
We must decarbonise our energy supply, re-organise and rebalance the grid, lower overall and manage peak demand and achieve greater energy efficiency across the board.
We have learnt the hard way to be aware and careful of where our energy is coming from and to take energy security seriously, with the ultimate goal of meeting our ‘reduced’ demand from clean and local sources, a goal that unfortunately may run counter to the operations of a free global energy market!
If our energy is to come almost entirely from renewable sources this has implications for all aspects of built environment professionals’ work in the construction industry and especially for materials, building performance, transport, and biodiversity
The window of opportunity for effective change is closing at speed and so we must make a rapid transition to a real green energy and net zero carbon future. As part of this transition, we need to be aware of the sources of and often lethal competition for critical materials such as rare earths for batteries, as their use will necessarily form an essential part of our strategy.
We are being told that, with some adjustments, we can continue with business as usual, just transitioning our energy sources but is this really the case?
Do we need to consider other measures such as carbon rationing if we are to live within an agreed carbon budget and stand a chance of limiting global heating to 1.5°C?
FUTUREBUILD PROPOSITION No 1: We need to act now on a plan to make a rapid energy transition with a balanced decarbonised grid, demand reduction at scale and maximum energy efficiency. If so, what is our plan?
Chair: Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent, The Guardian
Energy producer – game changing, what are you doing?
Sam Gardner, Head of Climate Change & Sustainability, Scottish Power
How to make a rapid energy transition – what is the action plan to get there?
Libby Peake, Head of Resource Policy, Green Alliance
Energy economics: rationing, pricing, taxing?
Paul Ekins, Professor of Resources and Environment Policy Bartlett School Env, Energy & Resources, University College London
The role of the construction industry to increase energy efficiency
Helena Rivers, Director, AECOM and Vice President IMechE
