BEYOND2020 – A Conference for Sustainability

Lara Anne Hale, Assistant Professor in MSC, will be presenting her paper ‘Business Models for Smart, Healthy Buildings’ at BEYOND2020, planned for 9-11 June 2020 in Gothenburg, Sweden. BEYOND2020 is one of the culminative events in the World Sustainable Built Environment (WSBE) conference series, which take place only every third year and unite both academic and practitioner members of the Sustainable Built Environment (SBE) community.

The theme of BEYOND2020 is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the built environment. Although there is an obvious relation between the building industry and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, the organizers take the stance that achieving SDG 11 “is only relevant, if other SDGs are fulfilled” (BEYOND2020, 2020).

‘Business Models for Smart, Healthy Buildings’ presents how the advent of the SDGs in business has bolstered cross-sector partnerships with sustainability foci not traditionally associated with the building industry. In the article, Lara examines experimental business models based on the building industry and public sector collaboratively working towards SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being.

Whereas the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in the conference being placed on hold, the pandemic underlines the significance of health, especially health in buildings, where most of us are now constrained to spend our time. Access to light, fresh air, and healthy spaces has not necessarily become more important – but it has become more noticeable and appreciated.

Should the conference not progress as planned, the organizers have assured that it will be rescheduled. Full papers will be published by IOP Proceedings in the Earth and Environmental Science Journal.