IPBN Sustainability Conference: Panel 2

Building Sustainability into the Discussion

After the COP26 in Glasgow in which 26 built environment climate action initiatives were officially announced, the World Green Building Council called on the sector to join together to urge all levels of government to implement policy to achieve two main time-sensitive outcomes: "By 2030, all new buildings, infrastructure, and renovations will have at least 40% less embodied carbon with significant upfront carbon reduction, and all new buildings must be net-zero operational carbon, and by 2050, new buildings, infrastructure, and renovations will have net-zero embodied carbon, and all buildings, including existing buildings, must be net-zero operational carbon."

This means times are changing in the building sector, and those working on both sustainable (and other) projects need to be aware of what this will mean for the sector as a whole. Luckily, the IPBN is taking an in-depth look at these and other standards that are fast approaching in our second panel discussion of our third-annual Sustainability Conference on St. Patrick's Day at the CCIP in Lisbon. Susan Cabeceiras, IPBN Board Member, and CEO & Founder of Konceptness will moderate the panel with special guests and friends of the network Laura McMahon, Krystyna Rawicz, and Pedro Barata. 

Laura McMahon is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of both CIBSE and IEI with 12 years of experience in sustainable engineering design. Her role as Head of Sustainability Consulting at Lawler Sustainability allows her to provide many advisory services including LEED and BREEAM building certification systems, energy modeling to demonstrate compliance with Building Regulations, R&D, and Energy Auditing. Laura began with an honors degree in Building Services Engineering from DIT Bolton Street, Dublin, later moving to the UK in 2015 and beginning a Masters in Renewable Energy at the University of Reading, England. 

Krystyna Rawicz has over 35 years of experience in Project Management and Building Surveying. In that time, she has worked in private practices, local governments and has established her project management and building surveying company, KRA Visionary Project Partners. Krystyna sits on several professional committees including the Disputes Resolution and Statutory Professional Conduct Committee and the President’s Expert Witness Panel for Construction Disputes. Krystyna launched a new company, KRA Renewables, in 2018, with a focus on implementing sustainability and renewable energy measures into their existing building stock. She is a LEED Accredited Professional, a Director of the Irish Green Building Council, and a member of the SCSI working group on sustainability.

Pedro Barata is the Business Development Director of AGREEN, an engineering consulting company acting in Project Management, Facilities Management, and Consultancy, with a concept of Full Cycle Building Management. Pedro has a degree in Real Estate Management and is certified as a Real Estate Appraiser by ESAI in Lisbon. He also has training in Corporate Finance and Marketing, both through the University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School. Pedro has more than 20 years of experience in Real Estate as an Entrepreneur, Commercial Director for some of the most important developers in Portugal, and Asset Manager for an International Real Estate and Touristic Group.