Experts Urge Low Carbon Materials for Buildings

Dhaka: 13 August 2026, Thursday.

Bangladesh needs to look beyond energy efficiency in buildings and account for the carbon emissions generated throughout the entire lifecycle of construction materials, including production, transportation, and usage. Engineering and architecture experts stressed increasing the adoption of low-carbon and bio-based construction materials to create sustainable infrastructure.

These observations were shared at a seminar titled "Engineering Low-Carbon and Bio-Based Buildings: From Material Characterization and LCA to EPD and Building Performance", organised by the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) on Thursday afternoon, 13 August 2026, at the Shaheed Engineer Bhaban in Ramna, Dhaka. Engineer Khan Manjur Morshed, IEB Vice-President (Academic and International), chaired the event.

In his opening remarks, Khan Manjur Morshed stated, "Scientific research and technological innovation have significantly improved human life, but the benefits of any invention depend largely on how and for what purpose it is used." Drawing parallels with dynamite and information technology, he urged responsible usage of modern advancements.

IEB Honorary General Secretary and Dhaka WASA Chairman Prof Dr Engineer Md Sabbir Mostafa Khan delivered the welcome address. He noted, "The safety, durability, and environmental performance of infrastructure largely depend on selecting the right construction materials and understanding their engineering properties." He also advocated analyzing coastal weather conditions before constructing infrastructure.

Distinguished guest Prof Dr Engineer Tanvir Manjur, Chairman of BAETE, highlighted concerns regarding cement production. He said, "The cement industry is associated with around 7–8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, reducing emissions from buildings cannot be limited to cutting electricity consumption during their operational phase; embodied carbon must also be incorporated into the assessment."

Delivering the keynote paper, Dr Eshrar Latif, Associate Professor at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, UK, stated, "Assessing only electricity consumption during the operational stage does not provide the full picture of a building's carbon footprint. Material selection, construction methods, and energy management should be considered from the earliest stages of building design using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)."

Moderated by Engineer Nesar Uddin, Secretary of IEB's Civil Engineering Division, the seminar was attended by National Housing Authority Chairman Mosa Ferdous Begum, IEB Honorary Assistant General Secretary (Administration and Finance) Engineer Muhammad Ahsanul Russell, central council members, and engineers from various government departments.
//DBTech/SIS/MIS//