Moscow’s construction industry adapts to climate change

Photo: Press Service of the Mayor and Government of Moscow

Green technology in construction is not just a trend but a necessity. This was the conclusion reached by experts at the “Climate Dialogues” conference during a discussion on “Green Building: Market Prospects”.

Speakers also drew attention to a number of problems that hinder the widespread introduction of ‘green’ technologies. The main difficulty now is the lack of ‘joints of interaction’ between builders, developers and those who exploit the constructed buildings. Builders are not interested in applying new technologies, as they do not use the results of their work. In addition there is no single building standard to rely on.

However, the current climate change is already causing the regulatory requirements for buildings in use, including dwellings, to change.

“The regional climate change mitigation and adaptation plan of the city of Moscow, which is being developed, includes proposals for the construction and operation of urban facilities,” said Svetlana Marchenkova, head of the innovative development of the construction sector of the Department of Urban Planning Policy of Moscow.

In addition, methodological documents in the field of improving energy efficiency of buildings and constructions to reduce carbon emissions during their operation are being developed now. Also, the Department is actively involved in the city’s Smart House project to integrate data from individual utility metering devices into the city’s automated information systems, Marchenkova added.

The speaker noted that this year’s work to assess the effects of climate change on buildings, structures, building structures and materials in Moscow was completed. The results are already available on the Moscow Territorial Construction Catalogue platform, which also provides information on new efficient construction materials, equipment, technologies, technical solutions and scientific and methodological documents for possible application in the capital’s facilities.

Cover photo: Ivan Murauyo / iStock