By Maduka Nweke, [email protected]
Apparently, considering that Nigeria government promulgates good policies which may not be implemented, the ability of the real estate to meet the challenges of climate change as it affects shelter and accommodation is in doubt.
Paul Udo Nweke, a legal practioner who is into property and environment has warned that unless, Federal Government constitutes a committee to see to the implementation of the agreement reached at the recently concluded meeting of the experts in climate change held in the United Kingdom (UK), the real estate sector may be worse going by the implementation of the climate change charter.
Nweke noted that the Global Conference on Health & Climate Change was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA), in close collaboration with the Glasgow Caledonian University and its Centre for Climate Justice, the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, the Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Wellcome Trust in order to find ways of managing climate change under COVID-19 era.
According to him, meeting the needs of climate change in the real estate sector might not look easy, but with the right effort and innovation, there would be a worthwhile solution. He noted that there are two major ways the real estate sector can meet the needs of climate change, the first would be to regulate the operational carbon footprint or the energy required to keep buildings running and maintained.
“Energy efficiency and employment of renewable energy can make real estate sustainable and green after some time. Building green is one of the best strategies for meeting the needs of climate change because the technology to make substantial reductions in energy and carbon dioxide emissions already exists.
“The second area is reducing the carbon footprint, or carbon emissions from materials, transport of materials, and construction of buildings. According to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released in August 2021, the built environment demands around 40 per cent of the world’s extracted materials, while waste from demolition and construction represents the largest single waste stream in many countries.
In her own assessment of the whole situation, Mr. Garba Obijole, an environmental expert practicing in Ilorin, Kwara State said, building and construction are responsible for 39 per cent of global carbon emissions, with operational emissions accounting for 28 per cent. She said the remaining 11 per cent comes from embodied carbon emissions or upfront carbon that is associated with materials and construction processes throughout the building lifecycle and value chain.
She noted, “Reducing carbon emissions associated with the property industry is therefore crucial throughout the property’s life cycle from the initial planning and investment to building operations, refurbishment, and final demolition. Switching these materials for more sustainable, carbon-intensive ones is one way to draw down emissions in a building’s life cycle”.