What happened
Şişecam is scheduled to attend the UN climate conference COP31 in Antalya between 9 and 20 November in the role of Climate Supporter. The company intends to focus its conference activity on energy efficiency, building performance and the contribution of glass technologies to cities adapting to climate change.
Its programme is set to be based in the Climate-Resilient Cities area. Şişecam will examine how high-performance coated glass may affect a building’s energy demand and performance. In particular, it will address the material’s potential to limit heat loss and manage excessive solar heat entering buildings.
For sustainability and built-environment teams, the immediate action is to follow the research presented at the conference and assess whether its assumptions on climate, building type and energy transition are relevant to their own projects.
Why it matters
The company’s COP31 agenda places the building envelope alongside energy supply in discussions of decarbonisation. It argues that progress towards net zero also depends on changes to the buildings and urban systems where energy is used, rather than solely on cleaner generation.
This is pertinent for asset owners, developers, designers and materials suppliers considering operational energy use and climate adaptation together. Cities face climate-related hazards including high temperatures, drought and flooding, while buildings and urban areas are significant users of energy and sources of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Coated glazing is being presented as one potential element of a broader approach to efficient, climate-adapted construction. The available information does not quantify performance outcomes, so any application will require project-specific assessment.
Research and panel programme
On 10 November, Şişecam plans to convene representatives of academia, international civil-society organisations and business. The discussion is expected to consider the roles of building performance, efficient energy use and new materials in strengthening urban resilience.
The company also plans to release early findings from work undertaken with ODTÜ-GÜNAM. The research considers high-performance coated-glass solutions under differing climates, building categories and energy-transition pathways. It examines possible effects relating to energy efficiency, emissions reductions and economic outcomes, as well as sustainable development and quality of life.
What to watch
Readers should watch for the methodology and scope of the ODTÜ-GÜNAM findings, including the scenarios evaluated and the extent to which they can be applied beyond the cases studied. Şişecam says it will raise advanced-materials issues through events and stakeholder meetings during COP31.
Source: Ekoyapı Dergisi.
