Claude Allain

DUBAI, UAE, 20 March 2020: “Buildings are responsible for 30% of global energy consumption and 25% of global, human-induced CO₂ emissions,” said Claude Allain, Vice President and General Manager MEA, Johnson Controls International, while revealing that the company has joined the World Green Economy Organisation, (WGEO), under the Private Sector Platform, as part of its vision to contribute to the development of a world that is “safe, comfortable and sustainable”.

“With WGEO, we aim to transform communities and unlock the power potential in cities,” he said. “All over the world, people are migrating to cities. Such growth brings greatly increased demands and challenges, but we can turn these challenges into opportunities. We call it the triple win: Economic benefits, with job creation; environmental benefit, with reduced emissions; and social benefits, with energy resiliency.”

Allain emphasised that in view of urban growth, efficient and reliable cooling solutions have become an increasingly critical and key focus in energy sustainability programmes across the region and have become essential factors to fulfil National Agendas across the world. As a member of WGEO, Allain said, Johnson Controls aims to develop programmes with universities, municipalities and investors in order to utilise and develop solutions that leverage the latest technologies that are adapted to the local requirements. “This will enable the community with talent development and the creation of innovative solutions,” he said.

Allain added that there is strong potential for efficiency-driven projects across all segments in the Middle East, and that Johnson Controls aims to be a partner in the economic growth and development of the region. “Tourism in certain countries in the region is set for tremendous growth, and we have engaged with hospitality operators, investors and governmental entities to encourage and incentivise a facility that will enhance the experience of the visitors and reduce the environmental impact,” he said. There are also tremendous opportunities to promote energy savings in public sector developments, including municipal and educational facilities, he further said, adding that WGEO will play a valuable role in bringing together all stakeholders and providing a platform for discussion, which will then allow the company to put forth actionable plans. “Our deep expertise and success in these areas give confidence to all stakeholders,” he said. “In one of the more recent projects, we have collaborated with the University of Hawaii – Maui College [for the building] to become Net Zero, and we have achieved this in 2019. Globally, we have delivered over 26 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions reductions, which generated over USD 3.9 billion dollars in energy savings.”