MIPIM agenda catches green theme
Mar 10 2009 By Andrew Whitehead
Before MIPIM, discussion centred on the importance of this year’s event and if the mood on Sunday is any indicator it will be a more serious meeting of business minds than ever.
Early arrivals are getting into the swing but it’s not towels being laid out this year; it’s stalls. The sun may be shining but it’s unlikely to lighten the mood as the heat just causes discussion about the realities of climate change.
The indications are that the focus will shift from private sector building to opportunities within the public sector arena. Already delegates are hunting invites for local authority events; they are this year’s “must attend” functions.
Last week the government announced the release of a further £19billion for the Building Schools for the Future programme. This has bought the public purse into far sharper focus. The talk among developers is how best to win business in this key battleground and how to witness the regeneration presentations hosted by the Black Country, Coventry and Bradford to name a few. Many are pinning their hopes on demonstrating their ability to design and construct buildings that combine features to minimise the building’s environmental impact whilst taking into account the rapidly changing climate.
Ambitious carbon reduction targets in the Climate Change Act 2008, and the wide-ranging initiatives heralded in the Energy Act 2008, should be a catalyst for the urgent investment and behaviour change needed to combat climate change. MIPIM has caught the mood, with an underlying green theme. Most people see climate change as inevitable; in fact, probably already happening. Adaptation is the new buzz word; developers and architects need design strategies that tackle the real and immediate effects of climate change, such as heavier rainfall over shorter periods.
Public sector development is not the only game in town; equity funds are keen investors in the ‘cleantech‘ sector, offering tax efficient investment and a vital source of funding for growing businesses delivering ‘cleantech’ products and services.
As an energy lawyer advising clients on climate change law and policy, particularly in the renewable energy sector, I see the challenge for the public and private sectors as navigating the increasingly intricate maze of Government fines, penalties, grants and incentives. The change needed to meet our carbon targets presents an unprecedented opportunity for anyone who understands the risks and potential benefits – whether public sector, developers, technology and service providers or funders – to weather 2009 and exploit a sector which should emerge relatively unscathed from the recession.
* Andrew Whitehead is partner and head of energy at Martineau.
