As the global race toward carbon neutrality accelerates, conference halls continue to echo with climate pledges while buildings grow smarter with sensors, automation and artificial intelligence. Yet beneath the dashboards and decarbonization road maps lies a deeper question: Are we becoming wiser — or simply faster?
That question sits at the heart of “Green Future: Intelligence Versus Wisdom,” the forthcoming book by award-winning Saudi architect and sustainability advocate Faisal Al-Fadl, whose work reflects decades of practical experience in green building, urban development and sustainability leadership across the Arab region.
Blending technical insight with philosophical reflection, the book challenges a growing assumption in the sustainability movement: that intelligence alone is enough. Technology can optimize energy use, monitor performance and improve efficiency. But wisdom, Faisal Al-Fadl argues, asks the more fundamental question — whether we are designing and building in ways that truly serve people, place and planet.
At the center of the book is the Conformity Assessment Scheme, a Saudi-developed framework created to address the realities of the Arab region, including extreme heat, water scarcity, rapid urbanization and cultural identity. Unlike conventional rating systems, the framework emphasizes measurable conformity, practical implementation and localized sustainability performance.
