‘Facilities managers should focus on sustainable buildings’

With Africa projected to be the most urbanised by 2050, experts have tasked facilities managers to shift focus toward sustainable buildings and urban facilities management in cities.

They highlighted the crucial role of facilities managers in enhancing sustainability in African cities, noting that buildings are significant consumers of resources and contributors to waste generation, as one-third of the world’s waste comes from buildings, while 100 billion tonnes of raw materials are used in construction globally.

Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of GPFI Group, Dr Muhammad Balogun, who led the charge at the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Africa conference in Accra, Ghana, said to drive sustainable change in buildings and cities; facilities managers should prioritise actions such as reducing consumption in all forms, embrace a zero-waste approach, and implement urban sustainable Facility Management (FM) practices.

According to him, 39 per cent of global carbon emissions are related to energy consumption in buildings. Speaking on the theme: “Africa’s Sustainable Cities – Role of Facility Manager,” he said FMs in the continent focus only on a small part of cities, and buildings, whereas, activities in the urban centre will have a major impact on how buildings function, development and operations in the cities.

He said practitioners must establish economic models that positively impact urban cities, extend building services to benefit host cities, engage with local communities and authorities, support FM education at the local level, adopt building solutions that benefit host communities and support the adoption of responsible consumption and responsible waste generation.

Balogun noted that by embracing these strategies, the managers could play a pivotal role in fostering sustainability, reducing environmental impact, and creating positive economic and social outcomes for the communities they serve.

African cities, he explained, must effectively leverage the opportunity that technology presents for social inclusion, economic prosperity and access to the global economy by leaning on crowd-sourced data, big data, the Internet of things and new technologies, which present a paradigm shift to unlock new perspectives and opportunities for local, as well as national governments.

He further said the concept of Sustainable Facilities Management (SFM) ensures the adoption of technology and innovative business practices that balance the social, economic, and environmental impacts of business decisions.

The global challenges of climate change and the demand for energy efficiency, he emphasised, are impacting the call for the FM industry to devise and develop solutions that minimise the negative impact of buildings on the environment.

Balogun reinforced that buildings do not exist in a vacuum, and called on managers of buildings to pay attention to the impact of the building and users on the environment and how it affects the sustainability of the city.

The Managing Director, Green Facilities Limited, Olumide Aina, who spoke on the ‘Impact of Internet of Things (IoT) on Sustainability in the Built Environment: Transforming Our Lives, Work, and Recreation,’ argued that facilities IoT revolutionises sustainability in the building environment, optimises energy usage and reduces wastes in living spaces.

According to Aina, smart buildings adjust settings based on occupancy, while IoTs promote sustainability in transportation and recreation. However, he observed that challenges exist.