Data-centered CO2 assessment to support ESG strategy in construction
The ESG agenda has been at the top of the global cooperation rankings for several years in a row at the level of governments of all countries. The ESG principles were formulated in a modern interpretation by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. It was he who suggested that the heads of the world’s largest corporations include these principles in their corporate strategies to ensure a better efficiency of measures to combat climate change on the planet.
Hstorical aspect – Roadmap for Developing Responsible Investment Initiatives
Since then, environmental, and social principles have been introduced in various fields of economics and law at the level of specific instruments, rules, and restrictions. Special taxes and duties have been passed (e.g. Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, Fit for 55, European Union Emissions Trading System) for manufacturers that use harmful ways of producing products to sell them in the European Union, Canada and the United States.
Legislation is constantly evolving and has a significant impact on the economics of manufacturing organizations.
ESG rating of S&P 500 is formed, investors and banks set the highest priority to support organizations that support these principles.
Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the demand for corporate social responsibility has also risen. According to the Edelman study, 71% of consumers are willing to give up a brand if it puts profits ahead of caring for people (Photo: 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer Brands and the Coronavirus)
The popularity of ESG investing grows every year. Experts believe this is due in part to the interests of millennials (those born in the 1980s and 1990s), who have become a solvent audience. The values of this generation are different from the previous one: for them business and investments are not only about income, but also about caring for the environment and society.
So, we can name three main reasons for developing an ESG strategy in an organization:
- Access to global financial market
- Reducing the risks of “green” taxes and regulatory fines
- Customer confidence
For the AES industry, which in any country accounts for 5% to 10% of GDP, the ESG agenda has become a key one. Many are aware that green real estate is becoming a steady trend.
Commercial and residential buildings are among the main culprits of resource depletion and energy waste. Studies have shown that they account for a significant portion of CO2 emissions in the western world, 40% in the U.S. and 36% in the EU.
AES experts can reduce waste by using the new OPENDATABIM capabilities not only to estimate the exact amount of materials they need. Thanks to big data it is now possible to get CO2 calculations from the very beginning of the construction planning and to organize the management process based on ESG principles.
CO2 calculation can be made not only for the final model but also for the intermediate phases, which means CO2 control can be woven into the design process, leading the design process in a new, green way. With OPENDATABIM’s integrated analysis and evaluation tools, professionals can also compare materials to select more sustainable options. Indeed, these evaluation tools can help stakeholders find and evaluate materials with less carbon footprint. Below you can see a simple example consisting of THREE simple steps that allow you to use big data analysis to calculate the carbon footprint of a specific building in a project (video below)..
The example used a model created using Autodesk Revit and IFC – as the most common data formats in construction today
And that’s just the beginning…
In addition, energy modeling simulations, daylighting and shadow analysis, and life cycle assessment information can help design more energy-efficient buildings. These buildings can provide a range of benefits, from reduced energy consumption to improved air quality.
OPENDATABIM supports the principles of sustainability by applying a data-centric approach to all phases of civil, infrastructure and industrial construction. Based on the principle of data openness, we provide equal opportunities to all participants in the AEC industry to create new digital tools to improve the quality of the result.
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