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Oslo, the capital of Norway, has big climate action ambitions. Among initiatives to achieve them it is instigating regulations to cut carbon emissions associated with buildings under construction and during their operational life spans
CHEAP AND EASY
Reducing emissions from construction materials, so-called embodied carbon, through the selection of low carbon alternatives and greater recycling and reuse of materials, does not have to make buildings more expensive or projects more complicated
CONCRETE STEPS
The reuse of concrete from buildings that are to be demolished can significantly reduce embodied emissions in construction projects
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
Regulations and incentives are central to progress on reducing emissions from buildings, says a landmark report
When Mjøstårnet (the environmental tower), the world’s tallest timber building opened in March 2019 in Brumunddal, Norway, it was a reminder of how a small Nordic country is at the forefront of the fight to reduce carbon emissions embedded in construction materials. The 18-story mixed-use tower stands 85.4 metres tall and has significantly lower embodied carbon than if it was made of the concrete and steel usually used for a high-rise building. Mjøstårnet is primarily wood, though concrete slabs are used in the top few floors for stability. ...
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The world’s building stock is forecast to double in size by 2050 to house a global population of 11 billion. If climate neutrality is also to be met by this date, the construction industry will have to significantly slash emissions from the materials it uses
The Canadian city of Vancouver is leading efforts in North America to slash emissions released in the production of building construction materials, setting itself a 40% by 2030 reduction target
Two-thirds of countries do not have energy building codes. This needs to change if buildings are to become part of the solution to the climate crisis, argues Jim Edelson, Director of Codes and Policy at New Buildings Institute, a US-based not-for-profit organisation
Massive investment opportunities exist for those deciding to use their cash to help renovate buildings, says Jennifer Layke, Global Director of Energy at the World Resources Institute
The overproducing cement sector is a low-hanging fruit that could help China curb its vast carbon emissions
The argument for natural gas as a bridge to a cleaner renewable future has grown weaker as the case for electrification as the most efficient way to decarbonise has grown
