All around the world, people in every community are suffering from the impacts of climate change. The United Nations Climate Change conference, COP26, presents a pivotal moment to create a path to a green recovery, before the window to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees by 2050 closes. Action this decade will be crucial; so how can we make the next 10 years really count? Our engineers, scientists, architects and advisors offer their insights.
A supercharged transition
Making the next 10 count to rapidly decarbonise our energy systems
As the decade progresses, how we produce, move and consume energy is going to be mission critical to emissions reduction. Will communities take matters into their own hands to democratise access to clean energy, if governments don’t act quickly enough?
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Ambition #1 – We’ll double-down on renewable energy production and grid integration |
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Renewable energy uptake will need to significantly ramp-up, while balancing the realities of what’s possible and affordable, on our global quest to “electrify everything” this coming decade. |
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Ambition #2 – Carbon capture and storage will (finally) earn its stripes |
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As the technology continues to evolve, we predict that carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) will finally establish its legitimacy as a critical enabler of the energy transition. |
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Ambition #3 – Small-scale energy storage will be big business |
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With the advent of new technology bringing energy storage to households, we foresee a future where energy availability, consumption and pricing are firmly in the hands of the consumer. |
Shock-resistant communities
Making the next 10 count to underpin resilient, adaptable communities
Where we live and how we move around will mean dramatically different priorities for urban planning and infrastructure investment. Planners and placemakers will shift their thinking this decade to underpin resilient, adaptive, low-carbon communities.
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Ambition #1 – Regenerative design principles will deliver ‘net positive’ built form |
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This decade, we believe a deeper understanding of ‘natural capital’ – the economic value we place on our ecosystems – will shape new strategies to deliver sustainable, regenerative built environments that factor in material and water flows, as well as whole-of-life carbon costs. |
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Ambition #2 – We’ll reimagine our cities and suburbs to achieve ‘smarter density’ |
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Post-COVID, we will have a window of time to capitalise on changing settlement patterns and behaviours to plan smarter CBDs, satellite centres, peri-urban areas and suburban neighbourhoods that are both population-responsive and climate-adaptive. |
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Ambition #3 – Using data to predict, plan and adapt to change |
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Global warming will require closer observation and forecasting of severe weather patterns that pose risk. Location intelligence, visualisation and other data-driven predicative analytics will be wielded as part of a sophisticated defence system against the impacts of climate change. |
Radical collaboration
Making the next 10 count to accelerate the low-carbon economy
How can we radically collaborate to make the right choices – and the right investment decisions – to mobilise global markets and accelerate the establishment of a sustainable, low-carbon economy?
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From competitive edge to ‘collaborative advantage’ |
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Instead of working in isolation, businesses that would normally compete will need to come together to tackle emissions across the value chain. |
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The knowledge sharing opportunity |
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This is where opportunities to pool data and intelligence in all its forms – from the ancient to high-tech – become all the more important. |
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A shared responsibility – a shared opportunity |
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Climate change impacts us all, particularly our future generations – and it will take a united front to face the challenges ahead. |
Get to know our experts
Dr. Tej Gidda
Global Leader - Future Energy
Dr. Tej Gidda
Global Leader – Future Energy
E: Tej.Gidda@ghd.com
Dr. Tej Gidda is an educator and engineer with over 20 years of experience in the energy and environmental fields. As GHD Global Leader – Future Energy, Tej is passionate about moving society along the path towards a future of secure, reliable and affordable low-carbon energy. He works with a diverse, globally connected team of technical experts to navigate the complex and rapidly accelerating energy transition to net zero emissions. His focus is on helping public and private sector clients to set and deliver on decarbonisation goals, to achieve long-lasting positive change for customers, communities and the climate. When he’s not busy working at the forefront of the Future Energy industry, Tej enjoys fostering the next generation of clean energy champions as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Waterloo Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Jill Hannaford
Global Leader – Future Communities
Jill Hannaford
Global Leader – Future Communities
E: Jill.Hannaford@ghd.com
An experienced leader in the communities and infrastructure space, Jill is GHD’s Global Leader for Future Communities. Jill works with clients and communities to enable better outcomes for people, places and spaces. With particular expertise in community and stakeholder engagement and social sustainability, she believes that people are at the heart of community and that infrastructure should support communities to thrive. A passionate advocate for inclusion, Jill has been a leader in the values and perspective of First Nations peoples being brought to the fore of planning and design.
Rod Naylor
Global Leader – Water
Rod Naylor
Global Leader – Water
E: Rod.Naylor@ghd.com
Rod Naylor has over 30 years’ experience in the water and environmental industries in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. As GHD’s Global Lead Water he leads and coordinates across the GHD enterprise our investment in new approaches and capabilities to serve clients and communities thus facilitating GHD's global business ambition to deliver both client value and lasting community benefit everywhere GHD works.
James Viray
Global Leader – Sustainability
James Viray
Global Leader – Sustainability
E: James.Viray@ghd.com
James has been working on sustainable development for 20 years. Over his career, he has driven collaboration among multinational corporations in sectors from technology to energy & mining to agribusiness to apparel and their stakeholders in addressing social & environmental impacts at both local and global levels. As the Global Enterprise Sustainability Leader for GHD, a global professional services company, he leads the integration of sustainability across the firm’s operations and client services.
Gregory Carli
Global Leader – ESG
Gregory oversees the strategic integration of Sustainability & Resilience principles into a broad range of client solutions across GHD’s market segments of Water, Transportation, Environment, Property & Buildings, and Energy. He is passionate about ESG integration, climate risk management and sustainable infrastructure. He has over 25 years’ experience in providing innovative solutions to clients throughout North America, globally in his role as Executive Advisor and former as a leader in the EHS+S practice.
Kumar Parakala
Global Leader – Digital
Kumar Parakala
Global Leader – Digital
E: Kumar.Parakala@ghd.com
Kumar is the President of GHD Digital, the digital transformation arm of GHD. He is committed to cultivating and championing new opportunities by executing on big and bold strategies, stretching the thinking of boards and executive teams, and building diverse, world-class teams that deliver real business results. He drives sustainable growth and transformation outcomes for some of the world’s largest companies in areas such as infrastructure, climate change and ESG. Forbes, Wall Street Journal, AFR, Financial Times, ABC, CNBC, and Sky News have featured his thought leadership.