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If we want to build truly sustainable cities, we need to think about how women use energy and space
(The Conversation, 8 Jul 2022) Women and men balance their different responsibilities in different ways, something the pandemic has brought into sharp relief. But that isn’t always considered by those designing buildings. In fact, buildings designed without considering gender often benefit men and disadvantage women by default.
On top of this are sustainability concerns around how much energy buildings use. To meet COP26 targets, energy efficiency of buildings will have to improve by 30% by 2030. But if that’s to happen, gender needs to be accounted for.
Buildings contribute to about 40% of global energy consumption and about one third of greenhouse gas emissions, figures that are predicted to continue increasing.
Yet research shows that even when buildings are fitted with low-energy tech such as double-glazed windows and heat recovery systems, they can still end up using about three times more energy than originally predicted. This variation is down to the behaviour of the people occupying those buildings: factors not always taken into account by designers.
My research with colleagues on gender and energy access in developing countries, including Pakistan, India, Nigeria and Ghana, has uncovered three key factors that result in women not having the same access to energy compared to men – a situation that makes achieving sustainability all the more challenging.
The Conversation, 8 Jul 2022: If we want to build truly sustainable cities, we need to think about how women use energy and space
