Carrier Connects Green Building and Cognitive Function in Jakarta

PT Berca Carrier Indonesia convened more than 100 building professionals this week in Jakarta, Indonesia to discuss trends in global urbanization and the connection between green building and cognitive function. PT Berca Carrier Indonesia is a joint venture between Carrier Corp. and PT Berca Indonesia (CCM Group); Carrier is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).  

Known as the Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series, the event featured presentations from Dr. Joseph Allen, Assistant Professor of Exposure Assessment Science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Director of the Healthy Buildings program at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Chan School, and John Mandyck, United Technologies Chief Sustainability Officer.

Jakarta has recently undertaken several steps to advance green building in Indonesia, having enacted policies to reduce water and energy consumption and to reduce carbon emissions up to 30 percent by 2030.

In an effort to become “A Center of Excellence” for green building in Indonesia, the country has:

• Set a goal for 100% of new buildings, and 60% of existing buildings, to meet Jakarta green building standards
• Committed to measurable reductions in CO2 emissions, water consumption and energy consumption
• Developed a Grand Design of Green Building Implementation user guide (available in Indonesian)

Thursday’s event highlighted additional ways green buildings can deliver measurable benefits. Dr. Allen presented the latest research from “The Impact of Green Buildings on Cognitive Function” study. Also known as The COGfx Study, the research was led by Allen in collaboration with researchers from SUNY Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University. Conducted at the Total Indoor Environmental Quality Laboratory at the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Syracuse, N.Y., the first study found that improved indoor environmental quality doubled cognitive function test scores. A follow-up study examined workers in existing buildings and found those in high-performing green-certified buildings had 26% higher cognitive function test scores than those in similarly high-performing buildings that were not green certified.

“These results fill important knowledge gaps in existing research about the relationship between green buildings and occupant health,” says Allen. “In Indonesia, the study is especially timely given the government’s commitment to making 100% of new buildings compliant with green building standards. Our goal was to produce high-quality scientific results that will allow practitioners to make data-driven decisions for buildings.”

“United Technologies is working to accelerate the green building movement around the world,” Mandyck adds. “We are engaged in an entirely new conversation on the value of green building because of this groundbreaking research. When you can demonstrate that green building is not only good for the environment but also for people – that is a powerful combination.”

Primary support for the study came from United Technologies and its UTC Climate, Controls & Security business.​

The Jakarta Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series event is part of a larger, global series that has reached nearly 4,000 building professionals through 32 events in 16 countries.

For more information on United Technologies’ sustainability efforts, visit  NaturalLeader.com and join the conversation on Twitter: @UTC, @JohnMandyck, using the hashtag #NaturalLeader.

To learn more about The COGfx Study, visit CHGEHarvard.org/COGfxStudy and theCOGfxStudy.com. Follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #TheCOGfxStudy.

About Carrier
Founded by the inventor of modern air conditioning, Carrier is a world leader in high-technology heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions. Carrier experts provide sustainable solutions, integrating energy-efficient products, building controls and energy services for residential, commercial, retail, transport and food service customers. Carrier is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.carrier.com or follow @Carrier on Twitter.