The British government has decided to replace old buildings with new ones with good insulation and other features that save on heating and energy. But as it turns out, such renovation can lead to worse consequences.
According to representatives of the Environmental Audit Committee of the Kingdom’s House of Commons, demolition and construction of new buildings will intensify climate change in the medium term. This is because a large amount of emissions are generated by the production of materials for new buildings – metal, cement, bricks, glass and plastic.
Emissions from building construction must be reduced if Britain is to meet its climate change goals, parliamentarians say. Philip Dunn, chairman of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, is convinced that our buildings contain a significant amount of locked-in carbon, which is released when they are demolished for rebuilding. This leads to even more emissions. Demolition and remodeling has already emitted 40,000 tons of CO2.
The construction sector hasn’t modernized since World War II, experts say. Construction accounts for 25% of all UK emissions. Engineers and architects are looking for ways to retrofit existing buildings with an environmental agenda, BBC News reports.
Also recall that the UK introduces new rules for housing construction. For example, restrictions will affect greenhouses and conservatories. They lead to excessive overheating in summer and excessive cooling in winter. The new rules also include higher requirements for indoor ventilation and a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
