ICLEI Canada’s Post

Making buildings more sustainable. With the support of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant, Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Mohammad Kamali is researching the life cycle of civil infrastructure, from pre-construction to end of life. “Life cycle sustainability in the built environment, as in other human-made products and services, should be taken into account to ensure lower negative impacts and a brighter future,” Kamali says. His project aims to demonstrate the impacts of the use of environmentally friendly materials and components, energy efficient technologies, and the industrialized methods of construction on the life cycle sustainability performances. For instance, the project will consider sustainability policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Read about all the latest UNBC Discovery Grant recipients: https://lnkd.in/gJMrjt6M #ThisIsUNBC

🌍 Published Paper Alert! 🌍 Excited to announce that my peer-reviewed research was presented at The Fourteenth International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-14) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our paper, "Achieving Sustainability in Civil Engineering Projects in Nigeria: A Case for Climate Change," investigates the crucial link between infrastructure development and climate resilience—an urgent issue amidst Nigeria’s rapid urbanization. 📊 Guided by my interests in sustainable construction and climate adaptation, this research provides qualitative insights from seasoned professionals in the construction industry and reveals several key findings: 1. Growing awareness of climate impacts, including flooding, heatwaves, biodiversity loss, and health issues 2. Adoption of sustainable practices like renewable energy, green land conservation, and low-carbon materials in highway and building projects 3. There is still a persistent knowledge gap within the construction industry about climate change 🔑 The study emphasizes the urgent need for the construction sector to shift towards climate-conscious practices. Achieving this will require targeted awareness campaigns, legislative support, incentives, and public-private partnerships to ensure sustainable growth. 🌟 This research contributes to ongoing discussions on sustainable infrastructure development addressing the SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action) as highlighted by the United Nations in 2015 and provides recommendation actions to address climate challenges in the construction sector particularly in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Feel free to access the paper here on https://lnkd.in/eynXg2Sw or reach out to discuss further! #Sustainability #ClimateChange #Infrastructure #ConstructionIndustry #UnitedNations #SDGs #Construction #CivilEngineering #UniversityofWolverhampton #CITC #Research #ClimateAction #SustainableDevelopment

Celebrating 5 years of positive action by the Net Zero Infrastructure Industry Coalition (NZIIC) The NZIIC was founded in 2019 when the UK Government committed to net zero by 2050. From its launch involving Mott MacDonald, Pinsent Masons, Skanska, Transport for London, Anglian Water Services, UKCRIC and the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), there are now 14 organisations working within the coalition. Over the last five years the NZIIC has brought the sector together to find solutions and offer clear guidance on how to tackle the challenges we face. Looking ahead to the issues NZIIC and the wider industry must tackle, founding NZIIC members Simon Harrison, who is group strategy director at Mott MacDonald, and Graham Robinson, who is global business consultant for Pinsent Masons, call for more action around resource efficiency and low carbon materials. In this article for New Civil Engineer, Simon and Graham express that “as an industry, we’ve become fixated on carbon but not on resource use”. In the piece they explain that this challenge reaches further than just the UK as 50% of the world’s extractives go into new construction and urbanisation. Simon and Graham suggest that we need to get to a point where 90% of construction materials are reused worldwide and joining the NZIIC is key to bringing the sector together to achieve this. If you would like to learn more about what the NZIIC has achieved over the last five years and how it plans to bring about this collaborative focus on resource use alongside net zero, read the full article here: https://mottm.ac/3BHZmTj #Sustainability #netzero #Construction #Innovation #Collaboration #NZIIC

Before any significant construction or expansion occurs within Canada—including the extractive or infrastructure projects—we must ensure they won't harm our ecosystem and the people who depend on it. We need a process in place to preserve nature and respect Indigenous rights, ensuring they can thrive along with our advancing economy. To better understand how investment projects that respect our environment and communities come to life, head over here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eRQpX94w #CanadianIndigenousInvestmentSummit #CIIS #EnvironmentalAssessment #SustainableDevelopment #IndigenousRights #EconomicGrowth #CanadaInvestment #ImpactAssessment #EnvironmentalStewardship #CommunityDevelopment

Building resilient and sustainable roads. Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Chinchu Cherian wants to know what will make roads last longer in northern climates. With funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s Discovery Grant Program, Cherian’s research group is examining new materials and technologies including special additives and recycled products for road construction. Through detailed laboratory tests and talking with local road users and experts, Cherian will understand how these materials perform in cold weather and help make northern roads long-lasting and more eco-friendly. “Through collaboration with industry partners, local communities, and government agencies, my research aims to pave the way for safer, more resilient roads in northern British Columbia and beyond,” Cherian says. “By blending traditional wisdom with innovative solutions, we're not just building infrastructure – we're forging pathways to stronger, more connected communities, ensuring a brighter future for all.” You can read about all of the recent UNBC Discovery Grant recipients at: https://lnkd.in/gJMrjt6M #ThisIsUNBC

🌿 Green is the new gold! With a notable decrease in emissions intensity across infrastructure projects, Canada's construction industry is taking action when it comes to sustainability. CCA’s recent ICIC report delves into how the sector is making strides in environmental accountability. Learn more: https://ow.ly/pxhJ50RqOZN #Construction #GreenInitiatives #ClimateAction

Celebrating 5 Years of the Net Zero Infrastructure Industry Coalition (NZIIC): Join us in making a difference! 🎉 The NZIIC was founded in 2019 when the UK Government committed to net zero by 2050. From its launch involving Mott MacDonald, Pinsent Masons, Skanska, Transport for London, Anglian Water Services, UKCRIC and the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), there are now 14 organisations working within the coalition. The founding members, Simon Harrison from Mott MacDonald and Graham Robinson from Pinsent Masons, are calling on more organisations to join the coalition in tackling the critical issues of resource use and low carbon materials over the next five years. As an industry, we’ve become fixated on carbon but not on resource use – and that needs to be addressed by the NZIIC and the wider sector over the next five years. Simon and Graham explain the challenge ahead in an article for New Civil Engineer here: https://mottm.ac/3BHZmTj and follow the links to find out more about the work of the NZIIC. #Sustainability #netzero #Construction #Innovation #Collaboration #NZIIC

Celebrating 5 Years of the Net Zero Infrastructure Industry Coalition (NZIIC): Join us in making a difference! 🎉 The NZIIC was founded in 2019 when the UK Government committed to net zero by 2050. From its launch involving Mott MacDonald, Pinsent Masons, Skanska, Transport for London, Anglian Water Services, UKCRIC and the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), there are now 14 organisations working within the coalition. The founding members, Simon Harrison from Mott MacDonald and Graham Robinson from Pinsent Masons, are calling on more organisations to join the coalition in tackling the critical issues of resource use and low carbon materials over the next five years.  As an industry, we’ve become fixated on carbon but not on resource use – and that needs to be addressed by the NZIIC and the wider sector over the next five years. Simon and Graham explain the challenge ahead in an article for New Civil Engineer here: https://mottm.ac/3BHZmTj and follow the links to find out more about the work of the NZIIC.  #Sustainability #netzero #Construction #Innovation #Collaboration #NZIIC 

Why do so many projects become unviable or cause environmental damage? This article offers an overview of the poor standard of feasibility studies that have made many subsequent investment projects questionable. It also questions the very mechanism of funding such feasibility studies. The article ends with proposed broad measures to improve the situation. #bangldesh #ifi_funding_process https://lnkd.in/g95U9KBa

Excellent panel discussion and Q&A at the recent Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure & Construction (CSIC) Workshop, discussing the infrastructure sector's response to urgent environmental challenges. Many thanks to the Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) team for an invaluable day on 25th October, examining how our sector must adapt to the pressing demands of climate resilience and sustainability. Network Rail is proactively integrating carbon reduction, energy efficiency, and climate resilience into our projects, but is keen to do even more, ensuring that every decision we make drives sustainable progress. We are committed to a future where biodiversity net gain and climate adaptation are core components of our infrastructure strategy. Together, we’re shaping a path towards environmental stewardship and resilient, sustainable asset management for generations to come. #Sustainability #InfrastructureResilience #CarbonReduction #ClimateAdaptation #BiodiversityNetGain #ProactivePlanning #NetworkRail