Arup at COP27
Explore highlights from our programme of activity before and during the UN climate change conference.
Explore highlights from our programme of activity before and during the UN climate change conference.
Our experts are participating in events before and during COP27, which takes place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 6-18 November 2022. You don’t have to be in Sharm El Sheikh or any of the other places where we’ll be exploring climate action and resilience – many of the events are accessible online or we’ll share a recording after the event. We will update the information outlined below regularly, providing details about how you can join in online.
Building a climate resilient Asia: what is most needed?
Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore / HybridThe Asia Pacific region is one of the most vulnerable to climate change impacts due to densely populated coastal cities, extreme event prone cities and low-lying inhabited islands. The increased intensity and frequency of extreme heat, weather disasters and rise in sea levels often results in massive floods, landslides and droughts. It acutely impacts the lives of millions, especially the urban poor. Join our opening session of the Race to Resilience Asia event series for a discussion with renowned experts on their insights, experiences and what they think is most needed to work towards a climate resilient Asia.
RegisterJo da Silva
Global Director of Sustainable Development
How can flood management improve city resilience and development?
Arup offices, Ho Chi Minh City / HybridExtreme rainfall and massive flooding events are becoming more frequent, leaving cities grappling with damage to economy, destruction of assets and loss of lives. These events are not truly ‘unexpected’. Cities can prepare, design for and mitigate the impacts of rain and flood events to enhance the resilience of their developments and communities.
RegisterAdrian Marsden
South East Asia Water Leader
What is the key to a flood resilient Hong Kong?
Multi-purpose Hall, CIC - Zero Carbon Park Hong Kong / HybridJoin this session to learn more about the urgency and the magnitude of the flood risk that Hong Kong is facing and obtain insights from both the private and public sector on the resilient strategies and interventions that they are deploying.
RegisterVincent Cheng
East Asia Climate and Sustainability Leader
Why is inclusive design crucial for community resilience?
Jakarta - AYANA Midplaza, Jakarta / HybridIn Indonesia, rapid urbanisation sets to intensify challenges such as a widening rich-poor divide, disaster risk and pollution. Navigating through these challenges towards sustainable development requires deliberate focus on vulnerable communities to reduce inequality and enable cities to thrive.
RegisterSafiah Moore
Senior Planner
Are our transport strategies on track to ensure mobility resilience?
Arup offices, Kuala Lumpar / HybridBy 2030, the urban population in Southeast Asia will grow by another 100 million to 373 million people. Transport is key to cater for this increase whilst creating thriving cities. Yet, it is also a major contributor to carbon emissions and pollution. To achieve future sustainable cities that prioritise equity and resilience, we need to design and upgrade our transport systems to support future climate and urbanisation scenarios whilst capturing value through economic growth and social value outcomes.
RegisterJoanne Carmichael
Australasia Transport Planning Leader
Hydrogen: how do we unlock its potential as a resilient energy carrier?
Arup offices, Singapore / HybridWhile innovation in the hydrogen market is picking up pace, there are challenges that the energy industry is grappling with to truly unlock its potential as a sustainable energy resource in Asia. What’s the most optimal form for hydrogen carriers to be delivered? Which sectors would need to be decarbonized most quickly at scale and how can we accelerate the process with hydrogen? How do we finance the use of hydrogen most effectively?
RegisterThomas Briault
South East Asia Energy Advisory Leader
How do we ensure energy resilience for the economies of the future?
Arup offices, Manilla / HybridEnergy security and reliability will hold utmost importance for regional governments in the coming years as electrification expands to rural areas and energy demand in the cities grows. During this session, policy makers and industry experts will take a close look at the energy demand and security issues in Southeast Asia and explore ways to ensure energy resilience for these rising economies.
RegisterRaul Manlapig
Director
Net zero hubs, regions and precincts: repurposing power stations
Hybrid event hosted in BrisbaneJoin a panel of cross-industry experts as they discuss how we can transform our coal-fired power stations to avoid stranded assets and catalyse new hubs of productivity which support globally competitive industries and thriving net zero communities into the future. The panel will draw insights from international and local experience to explore how successful transition of our current system hinges on an integrated, collaborative and coordinated cross-sector approach between industry, government, research institutions and community.
Find out moreMalcolm Smith
Australasia Cities Leader
Blended finance and partnerships to scale urban water resilience
Blue Zone Water Pavilion / hybridThis event focuses on how and why broad partnerships make a difference in providing and accelerating critical investments for the countries, regions, cities, and communities working towards climate resilience. This event will build on the key findings in the 2022 report ‘Mobilising capital for water: blended finance solutions to scale investment in emerging markets’ and on work being done through the multi-partner initiative the Resilient Water Accelerator with a spotlight on its initial work in Lagos, Nigeria.
Find out moreMartin Shouler
Director
Decarbonization of the building stock by carbon requirement to buildings
Buildings PavilionThe session will discuss how carbon requirements for new build has been developed and how to implement them into building legislation (by CO2 requirements) as done in Denmark and other countries. The panel will also discuss how the industry needs to declare the carbon content of products and solutions as well as how designers and architects must use life cycle perspective and life cycle assessment calculations to guide investors in their decision process.
Find out moreJo da Silva
Global Director of Sustainable Development
Accelerating decarbonization on the ground: injecting the true cost and opportunity of decarbonization into the heart of every property investment decision
Lot 113, Buildings Pavilion - AuditoriumThis panel will discuss work led by Urban Land Institute collaboration with contributions from 100+ real estate investment professionals in pursuit of new industry guidelines to assess and disclose climate transition risks for the global property sector. Arup’s involvement in this project focuses on establishing new, breakthrough industry practice to tackle the real estate carbon bubble and drive long-term value creation for the industry. This panel will also look at the consequences for investment markets and cities if transition risks are not tackled collaboratively as an industry.
Find out moreAlan Belfield
Chair
China’s strategies and actions on climate adaptation
China PavilionCo-hosted by the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Asian Development Bank and the Global Centre on Adaptation. This event will discuss policies and actions related to adaptation to climate change, share experience and cases, and publicise China's National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 and other achievements.
Find out moreMartin Shouler
Director
Rethinking the role of water in cities: example strategies to reduce risks, improve livelihoods and restore ecosystems
Blue Zone Water Pavilion / hybridClimate change related discussions in the water sector often focus on water quantity, while the issues of pollution, waste and consequently water quality move to the background. Cities face elevated risks if sufficient water for different uses and ecosystems is no longer available at the sufficient quality. This can aggravate social inequalities and vulnerability and floods entail additional environmental and human health risks.
Find out moreMark Fletcher
Global Water Leader
Realizing equitable and resilient decarbonized communities
Blue Zone - The Climate Registry: Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion – in-person, to be recordedAn equitable climate transition means that no one is left behind. Our solutions for the climate crisis must not exacerbate the affordable housing challenges we are witnessing across all major US cities. This panel discussion explored the complex relationship between decarbonizing existing building stock to create a net zero future while creating and preserving affordable housing – calling for both to be addressed in tandem to secure a resilient future for major cities in the United States.
Watch the recordingHeather Rosenberg
Americas Resilience Leader
Decarbonize the building stock
Denmark PavilionPanellists at this event will discuss how to decarbonize the building stock and set targets to reduce whole life time carbon emissions for buildings.
Find out moreNigel Tonks
UKIMEA Sustainable Development Leader
Ports as a gateway for maritime resilience: launch of the maritime resilience breakthroughs
Oceans Pavilion, Blue ZoneEnhancing the resilience of ports can unlock benefits not only for the maritime sector but also for port communities and coastal habitats. Through our strategic partnership with Resilience Rising, we are hoping to deliver this change. You can join us and our partners in the Blue Zone at COP27 on November 11 at 18:00 EET for Ports as a Gateway for Maritime Resilience: Launch of the Maritime Resilience Breakthroughs to learn more about the 2030 Maritime Resilience Breakthroughs and our efforts to identify and pilot solutions to advance port resilience.
Find out moreRobert Kay
Americas Climate and Sustainable Services Leader
Collective climate action for water resilience in cities
Blue Zone Water Pavilion / hybridThis session will explore positive examples of partnerships between national governments, cities and the private sector to demonstrate how public bodies and specialist organisations can collaborate to take action, develop solutions and share learnings and expertise to deliver climate-resilient water sectors and infrastructure critical to thriving cities. By sharing knowledge, tools and international best practice approaches, these partnerships can build capacity to deliver value now and for generations to come.
Mark Fletcher
Global Water Leader
Creating a circular built environment: the why and how
Buildings PavilionThe transition to a sustainable built environment requires the use of a circular economy - which demands radical, meaningful transformation centred around designing out waste, enhancing product lifecycles, and changing consumption habits. Hear from key industry leaders how they are driving business to take a systematic approach to make a sustainable built environment system a reality.
Find out moreMatt Kennedy
Global Climate Strategy and Reporting Leader
Pathways to offshore wind in the Americas
Blue Zone - The Climate Registry: Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion – in-person, to be recordedDecarbonizing the electricity grid is an essential step in reducing carbon emissions and a shift away from fossil fuels that can help cities meet bold decarbonization targets. This panel discussion discussed examples from across the globe and reviewed the challenges that need to be overcome to enable the delivery of offshore wind renewable power into the grid.
Watch the videoBeccie Drake
Offshore Wind Digital Lead
Lessons from around the world in establishing hydrogen hubs
Blue Zone - The Climate Registry: Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion – in-person, to be recordedThe US Department of Energy initiative to create hydrogen hubs in the US is gathering pace and there are lots of examples from across the globe. This panel discussion explored the development of a partnership for a US hydrogen hub and what lessons can be learned from the development of similar hubs in other countries. Significant investments in hydrogen are flagged in the Inflation Reduction Act served as a key point of discussion.
Watch the videoMark Neller
UKIMEA Energy Leader
How to SCALE offshore wind? Building an equitable ocean economy
Blue Zone Climate Action Hub / HybridFor offshore wind to achieve its full potential in contributing to a net zero world, marine spatial planning and site selection need to be optimal. Communities, offshore wind developers, environmental groups, marine regulators and policymakers must make positive choices. Through an interactive game using SCALE, an offshore wind deployment solution, the audience, guided by wind energy experts, will explore ways to balance complex marine considerations and choose locations that support equitable offshore wind development in the Philippines, an emerging offshore wind market.
Find out moreBeccie Drake
Offshore Wind Digital Lead
The role of nature-positive engineering in a sustainable ocean economy
Virtual Ocean PavilionA growing, safe and sustainable ocean economy needs to be supported by nature-positive engineering. The event will explore how new approaches to ocean engineering can provide both adaptation and mitigation solutions, not only minimising impact but also enhancing ecosystems. Lloyd’s Register Foundation will be joined by speakers from engineering organisations around the world to discuss the need for new engineering approaches in the ocean economy, including emerging ocean industries, climate change and coastal development, energy needs and marine biotechnology, to strengthen and protect natural capital.
Find out moreAusten Brown
Associate
Planning, design and development in the Global South: the 'how to' for people and the planet
Blue Zone, Room Hatshepsut (300)Africa and the Global South will construct billions of square meters of buildings and infrastructure by 2030, how can it be done sustainably, equitably, and with zero carbon emissions? Which architecture, landscape, and land use principles can simultaneously support carbon mitigation, human development and wellbeing, ecological health and restoration, adaptation and resilience, and local economies and livelihoods? During this event we will discuss these issues and how built environment practitioners need to respond to them.
Find out moreGhaith Tibi
Urban Planner
Human settlements: action towards a zero emission, circular and resilient built environment and cities for everyone, everywhere
Action room 1, Climate Action Zone In person / hybridA range of industry speakers will discuss the tools and measures being applied to accelerate decarbonisation and adaptation of the built environment to climate change. The session will also focus on the steps we can take to drive this transformation at the pace and scale that is needed across the world.
Find out moreJerome Frost
Chair, UKIMEA region
Technologies for climate action in the built environment
Blue Zone Buildings Pavilion / HybridHow can the public and private sector unlock the potential of latest innovations in the built environment? There is a global business opportunity to reduce emissions, restore nature and remove greenhouse gases through products, tools, design and construction. This event brings together leaders from industry and academia to explore technologies that meet climate goals and consider how to deploy and develop them, whilst meeting socio-economic needs.
Find out moreDamane Hlalele
South Africa Planning and Advisory Leader
Why location matters - shaping city growth to cut carbon
Blue Zone Climate Action Hub / HybridIn Africa, the twin tides of population growth and rapid urbanisation are placing huge pressure on cities to create affordable and equitable new housing stock. Simultaneously, cities must rein in emissions growth and move toward net zero. Whole Lifecycle Carbon Analysis (WLCA) reveals the carbon emission outcomes of locating housing developments in the urban core versus the urban periphery. The costs and benefits of both approaches are assessed using globally benchmarked WLCA methodologies to develop a credible location rationale for stakeholders in the African urban housing development ecosystem.
Find out moreAamena Desai
Senior Urban Designer