91影视

As the world looks to Glasgow for the COP26 conference on climate change, we鈥檒l be discussing some of the changes our industry needs to make and reflecting on the COP debate on the 91影视 Blog. Join the discussion on social media by following us on  and . Find more information in our special COP26 edition of our 鈥淔uture of Infrastructure鈥� report: 

Here in Scotland, we鈥檝e had to wait a little longer than expected to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference, delayed a year by COVID-19. Because of this, I鈥檝e had more time than expected to prepare to support the 91影视 delegation, which is where my 15-year-old daughter comes in.

I鈥檓 involved in three events – talking about how digital technologies can enable resilient infrastructure at the , leading the COP26 Zero Carbon Horizons workshop on digital transformation at the , and attending official signing ceremony for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)鈥檚 . In pre-COVID-19 times, I might have prepared for these in the office, but one upshot of the stay-at-home restrictions is that I got talking about them to my family.

This led to some lively discussions at the Philp dinner table. My teenage daughter presented various future scenarios created by our decisions that her generation will have to live with, each with a series of decisive actions needed to support them. The stark reality is we have a limited window of opportunity to make change happen and her voice is more important than mine in creating a present in which infrastructure will simultaneously deliver wider social, economic and environmental benefits, which is why I asked her to co-author this blog post with me.

The following is a summary of our dinner time narratives.

Sophie鈥檚 story

Hi everyone, I鈥檓 a fifteen-year-old girl who likes playing football and attending school. For two days a week, I鈥檓 also studying at college as an apprentice civil engineer. Sadly, I鈥檓 the only girl in the course 鈥� but I鈥檒l help put that right in the future! Like many of my peers, I want to defend and change the world, and that鈥檚 inspiring my career choices. Where better a place to start than with our built environment? 

Perhaps I鈥檓 na茂ve, but I see the built environment as something we all share. Boundaries are just an artificial means of giving adults a way of making excuses and failing to make meaningful change happen. I get frustrated when people cannot see the awesomeness and responsibility of living in a habitable zone in our galaxy (my dad and I love cosmology!). We shouldn鈥檛 need COP26 to remind us of our duty as planetary caretakers. My message is simple 鈥� collaborate and focus on delivering infrastructure that will benefit society and our natural built environment. If this change is too hard, give me a shout: I鈥檓 happy to help with the conversation!

Dave鈥檚 story

Hi everyone, I鈥檓 Sophie鈥檚 Dad. Unfortunately, I am not generation Z, but I am in concert with the desire for purposeful change in our complex built environment model with an interdependence of ecosystems. Sophie reminds us that the decisions we make now on the future of our new and retained infrastructure must be well balanced and seek to improve the lives of society and the pale blue dot that we inhabit. We don鈥檛 have an alternative to this beautiful planet we call home. On this basis, the starting point for all of our infrastructure interventions should be on creating a clear line of sight between what we plan, design, construct and operate and the outcomes they realize, from climate resilience to overcoming societal challenges. This is our last chance to stop climate change 鈥� we owe it to Sophie and her generation to act.

Originally published Nov 5, 2021

Authors:

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David Philp

With over 27 years of industry experience, Dave is a chartered construction manager by background who is now involved in delivering innovative Digital change, BIM and digital asset management strategies across the globe from UK, Hong-Kong, Singapore, Australia and the Baltics. Seconded in the UK Cabinet Office in 2011 as Head of BIM Implementation, he has been a key contributor to the UK public sector BIM mandate (GCS 2011-2016) and continues to support through his role as Impact Director at the Construction Innovation Hub. He was also seconded into the Scottish Future Trust (SFT) as Chair of the Scottish BIM Delivery Group. Additionally, David is Vice Chair of the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre.

Sophie Philp

Sophie is a secondary school pupil at Larbert High Schools (S5) and is passionate about all things in the built environment. She is on day release at Falkirk Technical College where she is undertaking a civil engineering apprenticeship. In her spare time, she plays competitive football for Falkirk Football Club under 17 Girls and builds 3D models from Minecraft to now Autodesk Inventor.