Bechtel has joined the Atlantic Council’s Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance as the sole engineering and construction partner.
The group aims to help fight the impacts of rising temperatures and support urban preparedness against heat waves around the world. Bechtel will use its experience designing resilience standards and developing guidelines for climate-proof construction to make existing infrastructure more able to protect communities from extreme heat.
Bechtel’s contributions will also include cost-benefit analysis of resiliency innovations and collaborating with regional institutions to make infrastructure more robust and efficient. The alliance is composed of 30 global cities impacted by extreme heat, and disaster relief charities and experts in the fields of public health, climate change risk, and disaster management.
Other major contractors have recently launched environmental-focused initiatives. Balfour Beatty said it has developed technology to manage power usage on its jobsites and reduce carbon emissions across its construction sites by up to 80%. Lendlease Europe released it’s “Roadmap to Absolute Zero Carbon,” a 20-year plan to reduce emissions on construction projects.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2020
Car-free streets could become common in major cities
New York and San Francisco establish thoroughfares dedicated to transit, pedestrians.
Codes and Standards | Jan 2, 2020
CRE professionals have increased interest in embodied carbon accounting, smart buildings
Survey also shows that interest in resiliency lags behind.
Codes and Standards | Jan 2, 2020
White paper focuses on Metal Composite Material labeling
Document part of effort to uphold industry standards for the product.
Codes and Standards | Dec 18, 2019
Hard Rock Hotel collapse in New Orleans puts spotlight on undocumented workers
Having helped rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina, many under threat of deportation.
Codes and Standards | Dec 18, 2019
Maryland lawmakers take on blocked sidewalks during construction projects
Legislation clarifies developers’ responsibilities.
Codes and Standards | Dec 18, 2019
New York City passes legislation to prevent bird strikes on buildings
Requires bird-safe materials on first 75 feet of a structure.
Codes and Standards | Dec 16, 2019
New Buildings Institute seeks entries for Zero Buildings Database
Listing illustrates feasibility of ultra low-energy buildings.
Codes and Standards | Dec 13, 2019
USGBC launches new tool to prioritize sustainability strategies
Highlights building design features that can lead to better performance.
Codes and Standards | Dec 12, 2019
Coalition calls for consistent building data disclosure regulations in Canada
Major real estate firms are driving the effort.
Codes and Standards | Dec 10, 2019
Utilities rolling out more grid-interactive efficient building programs
Focus is on energy savings and demand flexibility.
