Innovation: The key for the world to tackle climate change

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, and it is imperative that we find ways to adapt to the changing environment. With the aim to foster discussion and new ideas among the industry, Construction Industry Council recently invited Professor David Gann, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Development and External Affairs) from University of Oxford and the Chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority to discuss the role of innovation in helping our built environment adapt to the climate crisis.

Pressing Need for Innovation

Our world is now in an era of both crises and opportunities. At the beginning of the sharing, Prof Gann first highlighted the construction industry's resource-hungry nature and the urgency to reduce carbon emissions and invest in renewable energy sources. “In the last 20 years, we have burnt 50% more fossil fuels globally. To achieve net zero in 2050, we will have to displace 11,000 mega tonnes of carbon emissions with renewable energy, which is equivalent to building the largest offshore wind farm – or a major nuclear power plant - every day for the next 30 years. And that would require an investment of 10 billion pounds every day till 2050.” Prof Gann said. And this results in a pressing need for innovation in the construction industry, particularly in the areas of sustainability and digital modelling. He stressed that the industry must take a more proactive approach to sustainability.

To achieve this, Prof Gann suggested that the industry should embrace new technologies and processes, particularly in the areas of AI and digital tools. He cited ITER, the world’s largest fusion plant project as an example. A new design, a robotic handling system which helps integrate materials for the fusion machines are in place for the project. In the last few years, a lot of start-ups have been deploying novel tools and techniques such as virtual design tools in the project. NVIDIA, world’s best chip manufacturer for AI is now working closely with Oxford University & Atomic Energy Authority to develop a new design environment so that they can work concurrently on complex design options for STEP - the UK’s first-of-a-kind fusion powerplant to be built at West Burton, Nottinghamshire, UK.

Although new technologies and tools are now available for us to integrate around cost, time and quality, Prof Gann emphasized the importance of attracting and developing talented individuals who can leverage these tools to drive innovation and integrate sustainable. solutions in the industry. That will require a cultural change in the industry where leadership is responsible in setting the tone of working together. He observed that Hong Kong is now on the right path with the successful introduction and adoption of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the industry. With these digital tools, the construction industry can reduce reliance on labour, particularly on larger sites while reducing cost and improving quality of work.

Adaptable built environment

According to Prof Gann, we need to think creatively about how we can maximize the potential of today's designs to create more adaptable and sustainable structures. He emphasized the importance of an integrated design environment, such as a digital twin, that allows for a comprehensive view of all parameters at once. The construction industry, a significant contributor to carbon emissions, needs to play a big part in reducing its carbon footprint. He suggested that value engineering be used to identify the most adaptable, long-term, and high-quality materials – rather than simply reduce initial capital costs. He also stressed the need for a clever configuration of design to maximize the potential of today's structures.

Beyond innovation

Policy innovation is as important as innovation itself. To foster innovation, the industry has to work closely with the authority and regulators. Prof Gann used Oxford University’s vaccine development project as an example that they succeeded in shortening the development time during COVID – from 12 years to 1 year - with the support of regulators. It’s important for the world to create international standards and regulations that stimulate innovation and drive investment to the right places.

On the other hand, Prof Gann agreed that innovation can play a big role in improving the safety of construction projects when there is more collaboration and engagement with workers on the ground. He stressed that it is important to involve people in the process of developing and deploying new technologies.

Sustainable energy

In the sharing Prof Gann also discussed the potential of fusion energy, which he believes will become commercially viable by 2050. However, he cautioned that we cannot rely solely on that to solve the climate crisis. We need to find solutions that are commercially viable and that can be implemented quickly, such as wind farms, nuclear power, and carbon capture. Concerning the built environment, we need to find ways to reduce energy consumption in energy-hungry buildings such as hospitals, construction plants, and equipment.

Finally, Prof Gann noted that the young people coming into the industry will face many challenges that require them to innovate. He is happy to learn about the exciting time for the construction industry in the next ten years, particularly with the aggressive railway projects in Hong Kong. But he thinks that Hong Kong is also facing a similar situation with the UK in terms of labour shortage.

In conclusion, Prof Gann shared a lot of his experience on sustainability as well as the situation in the UK with the participating members. He emphasized the importance of innovation – particularly generative AI - in helping our built environment adapt to the climate crisis. And he believes that technology will never plateau, that we should all keep working on innovative ideas and technologies to solve the crisis together.