Sustainable design is key to cutting carbon emissions

Sustainable design is key to cutting carbon emissions

MEED spoke exclusively to Andy Cohen, co-CEO of Gensler, about how the buildings and cities of the future can achieve net zero

With buildings accounting for 40 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions, the construction industry was a focal point for discussions at the 28th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Cop28) in Dubai last year.According to data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects, the construction industry is a major part of the regional economy, with projects worth $1.2tn in execution in the GCC and a record number of $141bn-worth of awards in 2023.With this growth comes increasing concern over the industry’s environmental impact. On the sidelines of Cop28, Andy Cohen, co-CEO of architecture and design firm Gensler, talked to MEED about how the buildings and cities of the future can achieve net zero.“Carbon emissions are a design problem," he said. "We have taken an approach called the Gensler Cities Climate Challenge, which aims to help clients reach their climate goals by 2050.”Sustainability through designIn many cities in the Middle East, high temperatures coupled with a lack of shade and green space built into the architecture contributes to more energy-intensive assets.In response to this, Gensler is adopting sustainable strategies in