The footprint of our cities: time to build better
Over the last year, “build back better” became something of a refrain as many have called for a sustainable recovery from the pandemic. But there is a simpler message that resonates almost as strongly: we need to build better.
Minister Eddie Hughes,
Dame Jo Da Silva,
Over the last year, “build back better” became something of a refrain as many have called for a sustainable recovery from the pandemic. But there is a simpler message that resonates almost as strongly: we need to build better.
The new and updated Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, are not strong enough. Additional promises are not strong enough. Net-zero pledges are too vague. As things stand, we need to almost halve greenhouse gas emissions over the next eight years to put us on the path to a 1.5°C temperature rise.
We cannot achieve this goal unless we reduce the building and construction sector’s massive climate impact. The numbers are clear. Buildings and construction are responsible for 37 per cent of global energy-related CO2 emissions, with construction materials accounting for 10 per cent of these global carbon emissions.
