At the opening of Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition 2012 (2012MIECF), a Canadian environmental expert delivered keynote address to share with the audience his experience in green buildings. He believes that construction is closely related with climate change, and therefore innovative architectural design can improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution.
Mr. Andrew Bowerbank, a GMF Council Member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities delivered the keynote address. He pointed out that, currently 40% of the energy and another 40% from power generation. He said that the total population in 2008 was 6.5 billion and it is anticipated that by 2050, the global population will increase to 9 billion. Energy demand is therefore expected to be higher and will soon reach the critical point. Faced with growing energy demand and shortage of resources, he believes that every country will have the ability to reverse the current energy situation, by actively developing new energy and adopting the right technology strategy. He said that, since 2008, China has been investing heavily in renewable energy and energy efficiency, with an annual growth of 77%. In addition, Canada successfully implements low-carbon economic policy and is getting satisfactory results.
Mr. Bowerbank said that construction and climate change is related to architectural design and we need to make changes in our generation, to make the best use of green buildings. He gave the example of the DCL Medical Centre in Canada, which selected low-carbon construction materials and a design featuring advantages such as low-density, fire and pest control and efficient insulation. He said that the construction is also sturdy and economical. Besides, the external appearance and components of the building also meet environmental protection goals, such as the use of perforated metal, solar panels and green roof. He also introduced several new environmental protection concepts, such as bionics, “vertical” farm and synthetic biology.
Mr. Bowerbank is a respected authority on green buildings, smart-grid energy systems, industrial design, and low-carbon economics. He was the founding Executive Director of the World Green Building Council (2007-2010) as well as the founding Executive Director at the Canada Green Building Council - GTA Chapter. During his tenure with the WorldGBC, Mr. Bowerbank acted as Member Representative for the United Nations Environmental Programme with a specific goal to deliver a global framework for major carbon reductions in buildings and infrastructure.
