Pr. Geoffrey LEVERMORE

Department of Mechanical, Aeronautics & Civil Engineering, Manchester University, UK.

The presentation starts by looking at the evidence for climate change and global warming. It highlights the carbon 12 carbon 13 ratio as evidence of mankind’s fossil fuel emissions into the atmosphere. The role of the IPCC, its processes and reports are considered. The influential climate deniers are also discussed, as well as the influential role of China and India.

As the built environment is responsible for almost a third of the greenhouse gas emissions the potential for reducing them is discussed, especially with new materials such as quantum dots for photovoltaic cells, glass coatings, phase change materials to reduce summer overheating as well as reflective surface coatings. Superconductors and micro nuclear systems can also contribute to efficient and electricity grids and micro-grids. The urban heat island (UHI) is briefly discussed as well as the "air conditioning" UHI where the condenser heat output produces a micro urban heat island.

The presentation concludes by mentioning “maxmaladaptation”, and suggests that the profile of science, engineering and ethics be raised to combat climate denial and political ignorance.

Pr. Geoffrey LEVERMORE : Emeritus Professor of the Built Environment. Author of about 130 refereed journal papers, 44 invited papers and lectures and 25 book chapters and books. He was an investigator on grants worth £14.53m, 17 with UK Research Councils worth £12.75m, PI on 12 worth £2.27m. Chair of the Task Group and editor of CIBSE Guide A Environmental Design, Chapter A2 External Design Data 1999, 2006 and 2013. In 2007 he was one of the Lead Authors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. From 2002 to 2009 he was Co-ordinator of Working Commission W108: ‘Impact of climate change on the built environment’ of the CIB. In 2010 he was awarded a CIBSE Silver Medal. He is still researching part-time, analysing climate change, the urban heat island and building energy use. He has published 22 papers since 2011. He has given seven Keynote Speeches to conferences in Turkey, Dubai, France and China since 2017 and is a member of the Daikin European Konwakai which recently met in Japan.