Green Building Experts Advance Sustainability Dialogue in Singapore, Vietnam
Carrier, Otis and other leading UTC Building & Industrial Systems brands convene experts for Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Dec. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As Southeast Asia experiences rapid population growth and urbanization, Carrier, Otis and other UTC Building & Industrial Systems brands hosted Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series events in Singapore and Vietnam to help further the sustainable building dialogue. Carrier, the world's leader in high-technology heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions, and Otis, the world's leading manufacturer of elevators and escalators, are both part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
The series, which brings together sustainability thought leaders and green building professionals in emerging economies, held its first lecture event in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City Dec. 4, following a return to Singapore Dec. 2. Together, the events reached approximately 250 professionals with lectures and roundtable discussions.
In Singapore, where 100 percent of the population lives in an urban environment, Singapore's Building & Construction Authority recently announced its third Green Building Masterplan. The plan includes nearly $39 million in incentives for existing buildings to adopt sustainable initiatives and improve energy efficiency. It's part of a long-term effort to green 80 percent of Singapore's buildings by 2030.
In Vietnam, the urban population is growing by more than 3 percent each year, according to the World Bank, and rapid industrialization over the past decade has led to an annual energy consumption growth rate of more than 12 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The country's Ministry of Construction is developing a plan to reduce energy consumption per square meter of development by 10 to 15 percent compared to 2010 figures, and to have 30 percent of public buildings and 20 percent of private buildings achieve green status, according to the Vietnam Green Building Council.
"As the lecture series returns to Southeast Asia, I'm inspired by the steps both countries are taking to encourage sustainable development and building practices," said John Mandyck, chief sustainability officer, UTC Building & Industrial Systems. "The sustainability runway is long and these two countries are poised to maximize their opportunities, leveraging the technology of today to create a more sustainable future."
The Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City events featured lectures from experts in sustainable building and design. Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of both the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Certification Institute, highlighted the benefits of green buildings and outlined the progress of the global movement to make green buildings everywhere a reality.
"Green building is accelerating across the globe. In fact, as of October, 44 percent of all square footage pursuing LEED® certification is outside of the United States," Fedrizzi said. "In Singapore, 69 percent of firms said they're planning green renovation projects by 2015 in a recent study, and the country already ranks eighth on our list for LEED registered and certified buildings."
Also at the events, Bob Fox, of COOKFOX Architects, who led the design of the 2.2 million-square-foot Bank of America Tower in New York, the first U.S. office tower to achieve a LEED Platinum® rating, discussed the elements of high-performance architecture and the value of the human connection to the natural environment, including biophilic design, or the use of natural elements inside buildings.
"As cities grow and more people move from the countryside to urban settings, it's becoming even more important that we recognize the importance for humans of having a connection with nature," said Fox. "Biophilic design seeks to improve well-being by bringing nature into indoor space, incorporating materials and patterns that evoke nature, and allowing for expansive views."
The Singapore lecture series event was sponsored by UTC Building & Industrial Systems brands Carrier, Otis, Chubb, Kidde and Lenel. The Ho Chi Minh City event was sponsored by Carrier and Otis.
Launched in the Middle East in 2011, the lecture series has reached nearly 3,000 professionals through 24 lectures in Brazil, China, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. For more information on the sustainability initiatives of Carrier and Otis, visit www.NaturalLeader.com or follow the brands on Twitter: @CarrierGreen, @OtisElevatorCo.
About Carrier
Founded by the inventor of modern air conditioning, Carrier is the world's leader in high-technology heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions. Carrier experts provide sustainable solutions, integrating energy-efficient products, building controls and energy services for residential, commercial, retail, transport and food service customers. Carrier is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.carrier.com or follow @CarrierGreen on Twitter.
About Otis
Otis is the world's largest manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products, including elevators, escalators and moving walkways. Founded 161 years ago by the inventor of the safety elevator, Otis offers products and services through its companies in more than 200 countries and territories, and maintains more than 1.8 million elevators and escalators worldwide. Otis is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.otis.com or follow @OtisElevatorCo on Twitter.
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SOURCE Carrier; Otis
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