Embodied carbon in HVACR and building services presents a critical challenge in the pursuit of sustainable construction and operation.
This challenge will be addressed in a panel session at the ARBS Exhibition to be held from 28-30 May, 2024.
The session delves into the multifaceted landscape of embodied carbon, exploring its definition, significance, and current industry practices among manufacturers and specifiers. As regulatory frameworks evolve, including the impact of standards like TM65, stakeholders must adapt to meet new requirements while seizing opportunities for innovation and improvement.
From consultants to manufacturers, each role plays a unique part in reducing embodied carbon, requiring collaborative efforts and effective communication.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) emerges as a pivotal tool in evaluating carbon footprints, yet its integration poses challenges and opportunities for specifiers.
Through shared insights and best practices, this session aims to foster a deeper understanding of embodied carbon and empower stakeholders to navigate its complexities towards a more sustainable built environment.
Panellists include ebm-papst ANZ managing director, Dr Simon Bradwell.
His 25 years of fan industry experience and his engineering work spans Europe, Africa and Australasia. He is a Chartered Engineer with a Doctorate in Engineering from the UK.
In 2015 he was recognised as Fellow of Engineers Australia.
The second panellist is AG Coombs Advisory Pty Ltd senior engineer for sustainability, Andrew Nagarajah, a mechanical engineer with over a decade of experience in building services and sustainability consulting.
His role within A.G. Coombs Advisory is focused on the areas of net zero emissions strategy development for built assets; building electrification to facilitate 100% renewables-powered building services; NABERS rating improvement roadmap development; and provision of whole-of-life sustainability and energy efficiency technical advice.
The final panellist is Northrop Consulting lead for sustainability, Ian Van Eerden.
He joined Northrop in 2015 and has grown the team to be one of the industry’s largest providers of sustainability services.
Van Eerden is a recognised leader in the industry sitting on the NSW Committees for Consult Australia and the Chartered Institution for Building Services Engineers alongside advisory roles for the Australian Building Codes Board, Property Council and Green Building Council of Australia.
He manages a diverse group involved in projects that range from aged care to major commercial offices, to logistic centres.
Van Eerden believes that project success depends on a combination of three key elements: economic viability, social acceptability, and environmental sustainability.