On November 20, Sustainability Director Mina Hasman will host an event on behalf of SOM in the Green Zone during COP29, exploring how to accelerate the decarbonization of the built environment. COP29 is the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and will be hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Hasman will present SOM’s latest innovations around decarbonization and an update on the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (“the Standard”), which SOM has helped to steer. The Standard has been created collaboratively by leading UK built environment organizations and subject matter experts in response to the market demand for a clear and unified definition for net zero carbon-aligned assets in the UK.
The event will be followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from the Standard, RIBA, CIBSE, UKGBC, and RICS, which have been instrumental in the development of the Standard over the last two years. The panel, which will take place at the Baku White City Pavilion, will also include Elena Chernova, Special Projects Manager from the Azerbaijan Development Company, who will share insights about the progress of the built environment’s decarbonization in Azerbaijan.
In addition, on November 19, Hasman will moderate a panel discussion in the Buildings and Cooling Pavilion, exploring complex challenges in the built environment such as climate change, social inequality, and resource overuse, with a focus on indigenous knowledge, resilience, and equitable design. On November 21, she will take part in a UN-hosted panel discussion focused on net zero and resilient buildings and exploring solutions for effective transformation.