Empowering Global Collaboration for a Sustainable, Decarbonized Building Industry Future
On behalf of the organising committee, it is our great pleasure to welcome you to the Decarbonising Building Industry (DBI) 2024 Conference. As we gather here at the University of Melbourne, we stand at the precipice of significant transformation within the building industry, facing the collective challenge of reducing our carbon footprint for a sustainable future.
This year, under the theme “Decarbonising the Building Industry,” we aim to foster a global dialogue on innovative strategies and technologies that can lower emissions from both the construction and operation phases of building life cycles. Our ambition is to catalyse a shift towards more sustainable practices that resonate with both industry professionals and academia.
As Conference Chair, I, Prof. Tuan Ngo, alongside my esteemed colleague and Conference Co-chair, Dr. Behzad Rismanchi, am honoured to guide this critical conversation. We have meticulously curated a program that promises not only high-quality presentations from leading international researchers but also robust discussions that we hope will inspire actionable solutions.
The conference themes have been carefully selected to cover a broad spectrum of the decarbonisation challenge, from low-carbon building materials and sustainable construction practices to the innovative technologies shaping the future of our buildings and cities. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research, highlight emerging trends, and facilitate networking opportunities that spawn collaborative projects and research initiatives.
We are particularly excited about the roundtable discussions, which are designed to foster deeper engagement on specific topics of interest, encouraging the exchange of ideas and best practices. These sessions, led by experts in their respective fields, promise to be a highlight of the conference, providing unique insights and fostering collaborative opportunities.
The journey towards decarbonising the building industry is complex and requires the collective effort of all stakeholders. This conference is a testament to our shared commitment to this cause, bringing together the brightest minds from around the globe to share knowledge, challenge existing paradigms, and envision a greener, more sustainable built environment.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all speakers, delegates, sponsors, and our organising team for their invaluable contributions to this conference. Your expertise, enthusiasm, and dedication to advancing sustainable building practices are what make DBI2024 a pivotal event.
Thank you for joining us in this important endeavour. We look forward to engaging discussions, fruitful collaborations, and innovative solutions that will emerge from our time together.
Warm regards,
Prof. Tuan Ngo Conference Chair
Dr. Behzad Rismanchi Conference Co-chair
DBI2024, scheduled for 18-19 November 2024, is a pivotal event focusing on the theme of ‘Decarbonising the Building Industry’. This conference aims to address critical aspects of sustainable development in the construction sector, including embodied emissions, innovative construction methods, and operational emissions reduction strategies. The two-days conference is jointly hosted by DBI Network and EEC.
The first day of DBI2024 will be a scientific conference, bringing together leading researchers and experts to present and discuss the latest advancements in building decarbonisation. The second day will transition into the Buildings Energy Performance Summit, organised by the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC). This summit is dedicated to exploring energy efficiency and electrification in buildings, with a specific focus on Australia’s emissions reduction targets. It will feature a mix of industry leaders, policymakers, and top-tier researchers, creating a collaborative platform to discuss policies and technologies that can catalyse Australia’s ‘renovation wave’.
DBI2024 is not just a conference; it is a convergence of ideas and actions. It’s where the latest research meets practical application, where global and local leaders connect, and where the future of sustainable buildings and communities begins to take shape.
Prof. Mat Santamouris is a leading figure in the field of energy and building physics, with a special focus on enhancing the environmental sustainability of built environments. He holds the prestigious position of Anita Lawrence Chair in High Performance Architecture at the University of New South Wales, Australia, where he continues to push the boundaries of research in green building technologies and urban heat island mitigation strategies.
With a prolific academic career, Prof. Santamouris has authored and edited over fifteen books and more than 430 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings. His work is highly regarded globally, not only for its academic merit but also for its practical applications in improving building energy efficiency, renewable energy sources in buildings, and the development of materials for smart building applications.
Prof. Santamouris has led numerous international research projects, contributing to the development of new knowledge and innovative solutions to reduce energy consumption in buildings and counteract the urban heat island effect. His research has had a significant impact on policy and practice, influencing building codes and standards across the world. In addition to his academic achievements, Prof. Santamouris is actively involved in various professional and scientific committees, including serving as an advisor to governments and international organisations on issues related to energy policy, sustainable urban development, and climate change mitigation. His contributions to the field have been recognised with several awards and honours, highlighting his commitment to making our cities more livable, sustainable, and resilient against the challenges posed by climate change.
Professor Vivian W. Y. Tam is a world-leading researcher in the field of construction engineering and management. Her findings have found applications and impact for tackling climate-change issues for green buildings and recycled concrete. She is currently the Director of Centre for Infrastructure Engineering, Associate Dean (Research and HDR), Associate Dean (International) and Discipline Leader (Construction Management) at School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia. She was nominated to the College of Expert, Australian Research Council, Australian Government in 2018-2021. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Construction Management and Senior Editor of Construction and Building Materials. She has published over 330 referred journal articles. Her work has been recognised by peers nationally and internationally, which has been exemplified by seven Australian Research Council projects and over 24,000 citations with a h-index of 81. Vivian is also named as 100,000 Top-Scientists (Top 2% Scientists) in the World for since 2017. Vivian is also nominated as a Runner Up, Scopus Researcher of the Year Award 2019, Excellence in Research Impacting a Sustainable Future, Scopus, and her team has won the Gold Award, 2021 Urban Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, Guangzhou International Sister-City Universities (GISU).
Professor Thomas Lützkendorf was, until recently, the Chair of Sustainable Management of Housing and Real Estate in Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. As chairman of the Mirror Committee “Sustainability of Construction works” at the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), he coordinates German contributions to European and international standardization (CEN and ISO, respectively) in the area of sustainable building. He is a founding member of the international Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) and was one of the leaders in Germany in the development and testing of sustainability assessment systems for buildings (BNB, DGNB, NaWoh). He has been a leading contributor to IEA EBC Annexes and is currently one of the leaders of Annex 89 (Ways to Implement Net-zero Whole
Life Carbon Buildings). In being awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at the Thuringian State Chancellery, the State Minister-President mentioned his work relating to national and international standardization, active contributions to various advisory councils, government initiatives and the international SBE conference series as important contributions to sustainable development.
Professor Wei Pan is Head of Department of Civil Engineering of The University of Hong Kong (HKU), where he is also Executive Director of Centre for Innovation in Construction and Infrastructure Development, and Director of NetZeroLab and MiCLab. Professor Pan was Acting Executive Vice-President (Administration and Finance), Associate Vice-President (Research and GBA), and Associate Dean of Engineering (Masters) of HKU. Professor Pan is a renowned scholar in sustainable construction engineering and management, with interest covering modular integrated construction (MiC), smart construction, sustainable infrastructure, zero carbon, and lifecycle assessment. He has attracted over HK$120million research funding and authored over 360 publications, a Top 1% scholar worldwide by citations by Clarivate Analytics and a World’s Top 2% scientist released by Stanford University. He is Chartered Builder, Chartered Environmentalist, Member of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers, and Fellow of Higher Education Academy and Institution of Civil Engineers. He is Editor-in-Chief of journal Engineering Sustainability. He pioneered the research into the feasibility of zero carbon of 40-storey buildings in Hong Kong, and developed MiC with the Hong Kong government. Professor Pan was awarded Distinguished Young Investigator of China in 2019, Chief Executive’s Commendation in 2020, ICE Brunel Medal Highly Commended in 2020, and MiC Outstanding People in 2022.
Professor Harpa Birgisdottir heads the Building Sustainability Research Group at BUILD at Aalborg University in Copenhagen. She has about 20 years of experience in the application of Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), with a particular focus on the analysis and development of tools for buildings, roads, and waste management. She led the development of the national tool for buildings, LCAbyg, launched by the Danish Energy Agency in April 2015. LCAbyg has been utilized for the voluntary DGNB certification and will be mandatory for all new constructions under the building regulations from 2023. Professor Birgisdottir has served as project leader for numerous Danish reports on LCA and climate impact assessment for both new constructions and renovations. She was the editor for the adaptation of the widespread certification scheme DGNB to Danish conditions from 2010 to 2013. Professor Birgisdottir has participated in several prestigious international research projects under the International Energy Agency, assessing the climate impact of buildings and building materials (IEA Annex 57 and Annex 72). She has also been involved in numerous development and practical projects concerning Circular Economy in construction, including the two Danish flagship projects, Upcycle House and Circle House. These projects develop new methods to enable the implementation of LCA in the complex world of circular economy. Professor Birgisdottir, a board member of both the Green Building Council Denmark and Molio, a Danish Construction Information Center, is a frequent speaker at several international and national conferences.
Stanford Harrison is the Director of the Commercial Buildings Policy Team in the Energy Performance & Security Division of the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. He has responsibility for commercial buildings energy efficiency policy development including commercial buildings initiatives under the Energy Ministers’ Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings.
Under the Australian Government’s National Energy Performance Strategy, he manages the expansion of the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) energy and embodied carbon ratings, work supporting embodied carbon policy development, and work supporting the improvement of energy performance and embodied carbon standards under the National Construction Code.
He is the Australian Executive Committee member for the IEA Energy in Buildings and Communities Technical Collaboration Program. Stanford holds a Bachelor of Science and postgraduate qualifications in economics and public administration.
International Conference on Decarbonising the Building Industry, DBI 2024, 17-18 Nov 2024, Melbourne
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