Julius Berger supports drive for greener, inclusive urban development

Julius Berger supports drive for greener, inclusive urban development

• Presentation on Green Material Hub wins Award

Leading engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc all through last week demonstrated its commitment to sustained drive for greener and inclusive urban development even as its subsidiary, PrimeTech Design and Engineering won a Certificate of Achievement for its Green Material Hub presentation at the week-long Africa Green Building Summit in Lagos.

With the theme Building Resilient Futures: Integrating Carbon Neutrality, Circular Economy and Inclusive Urban Development, the Future Cities Summit placed urban resilience at the forefront of policy discourse on the development trajectory of African cities with special reference to Nigeria.

According to the organisers, we acknowledge that sustainable urbanism is not just about reducing carbon emission or implementing green initiatives, it is about creating inclusive environments that can adapt, survive and thrive amid an array of challenges. 

With presentations from the event sponsors and partners on Future cities of Africa: A visionary for tomorrow’s landscapes, Harnessing Technology for smart and sustainable urban development in Africa; and Building Codes: Setting new norms in African construction as well as Strategies for achieving carbon neutrality in African cities, the four-day summit called for urgent action in the face of needed measures for transforming our cities into sustainable, resilient and inclusive spaces; adding that, Africa needs to act now to protect and preserve our urban futures.

Speaking on the sideline of the landmark event, the Director, Corporate Development of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mr. Jochen Stolle recalled the various initiatives by the construction company in enhancing sustainability in all aspects of its operations and declared, Julius Berger actively pursues opportunities to foster shared value, aligning the interests of the company with those of the nation, communities, and dedicated staff. And that is why we support this renewed drive for greener and inclusive urban development for the country and possibly, Africa.

He said the company aligns with the global vision on sustainability and the building of resilient futures in urban landscapes even as he reeled out a few initiatives taken by Julius Berger in the not-too-distant past in this direction.

On Environment-Centric Solutions, he said, Julius Berger has set goals and targets for the next foreseeable years that include the ongoing adoption of environment-centric solutions like incorporating energy-tracking smart buildings, utilising green concrete and recycled aggregates, implementing sustainable site installations and leveraging prefabricated construction techniques.

For Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, Mr Stolle said Julius Berger adheres to the ten universal principles of the United Nations Global Compact, reinforcing their dedication to responsible and sustainable business practices, adding that the company’s commitment extends to economic viability, environmental responsibility, and social inclusion.

He further said that Julius Berger remained committed to CSR through donations and community development initiatives.

On Health, Safety & Environment, the Director said, Julius Berger prioritizes the welfare of their staff, broader society, and the environment in Nigeria adding that rigorous health, safety, and environmental measures are implemented to ensure responsible growth while preserving resources for the future.

Stolle continued: Our teams operate with a sense of responsibility towards colleagues, clients, business partners, and communities, contributing to long-term sustainability and resilience in the areas where they operate.

He also spoke on the company’s efforts on improved Human Capital Development, philanthropy and social welfare concluding that Julius Berger is at home with global move for sustainability and building resilient futures.

Put together, he said the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) metrics recent ranking stood at 98%, ahead of many hitherto well-known companies.

Sustainability and green building are closely intertwined concepts that focus on promoting environmentally responsible and resource-efficient practices in the construction industry. Green building, also known as sustainable building or eco-friendly building, is an approach to design, construction, and operation of buildings that aims to reduce their environmental impact and improve the health and well-being of occupants. Sustainability, on the other hand, is a broader concept that encompasses not only environmental considerations but also social and economic factors to ensure the long-term well-being of current and future generations.

In the Innovation Challenge at the event, a group of Innovators from Julius Berger’s subsidiary, PrimeTech led by Arc. Precious Umoren made a presentation on Green Material Hub designed to empower organisations to solve the sustainable materials challenge and achieve carbon reduction commitments through the production and sourcing of low-carbon materials. The innovation was lauded by most participants as unique and deserving of recognition leading to the Award of Certificate of Achievement to Umoren.

In her post Award reaction, Umoren said, the Hub is designed to function as a virtual space for workshops and training to keep built industry professionals up-to-date with innovative ideas and best material practices, harnessing the potential of indigenous materials while simultaneously encouraging collaboration and networking. Since I was responsible for the research and development of the innovative solution, I dedicated personal leisure hours and the research/training hours allocated by my company to develop the solution with input from my team members. I prepared the presentation slides, proposal, and all other relevant documents. With the company's support, I made it to the Summit, presented on behalf of Team 3A, and secured first place.

Participants at the event included a member of World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, IFC, Water conversion specialists, Watergen and Green Building designers, Litedares among several others.

Apart from the Director, Corporate Development that led Team Julius Berger to the landmark event, other members of the Team were, the Senior Executive Manager, Strategic Business Development Unit, Ndifreke Ukochio, Manager, Corporate Communications Department, James Agama, Head, Business Development Unit, Primetech, Ayotunde Sogeke, Head, Business Development, Primetech, Oluwakolade Ilori, Head, Architecture, Primetech, Joseph Abba, Representative of Media Relations Office, Region West, Julius Berger, Mobolaji Ogunyemi  and Head, Media Relations, Emmanuel Isibor.

All for Julius Berger: R-L: Director, Corporate Development, Mr Jochen Stolle, Tender Manager, Region West, Bercem Iri, Regional Manager, Technical, Region West, Christl Thomas and Head, Corporate Communications Department, James Agama at the just ended Future Cities- Green Africa Building Summit 2024 held in Lagos

Standing R-L: Regional Manager, Technical, Region West, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Christl Thomas, Tender Manager, Region West, Bercem Iri and Head, Business Development Unit, Primetech, Ayotunde Sogeke. Sitting L-R:  Head Corporate Communications Department, James Agama and Head, Business Development, Primetech, Oluwakolade Ilori at the Julius Berger exhibition booth at the just ended Future Cities- Green Africa Building Summit 2024 held in Lagos

L-R: Head, Architecture, Primetech, Joseph Abba and Strategic Business Development, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Ndifreke Ukochio at the the just ended Future Cities- Green Africa Building Summit 2024 held in Lagos

Precious Umoren during the Award-winning presentation on Green Material Hub at the just ended Green Africa Building Summit in Lagos