Stop demolishing. Start repurposing.
When it comes to the environmental impacts of buildings, new doesn’t always mean better. By repurposing old buildings, we can reduce carbon emissions and accelerate progress towards a sustainable future.
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The carbon cost of buildings
We’re facing a climate crisis and construction is at the epicentre. Here are some of the facts.
Building the road to net zero
It’s a monumental challenge. But governments and industry are rallying together, committing to ambitious targets to achieve the step change we need.
Almost 200 countries have now joined the Paris Agreement initiated at COP21 in 2016 – legally binding them to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
The UK Government’s 2020 Energy White Paper states that, at 87 million tonnes of carbon emissions, “buildings are the second largest source of emissions in the UK” and targets that all commercial properties achieve an EPC rating of at least B by 2030.
Recent COP events have seen rapid growth in construction sector initiatives, including commitments for all new buildings to be net-zero carbon and for embedded carbon to be reduced by at least 40% by 2030.
In October 2020, the European Commission published its Renovation Wave, aiming to double renovation rates over the next 10 years – in other words, a 100% increase in the number of buildings that are repurposed versus today.
While progress is promising, it’s not nearly enough. The 2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction shows starkly that the sector is not on track to achieve decarbonisation by 2050.
We must do much more, much faster. And this means the repurposing of existing buildings has to become the new norm.
Playing our part
We can’t solve it all by ourselves. But by shifting the default from ‘demolish and rebuild’ to ‘reimagine and repurpose’, we can help to tackle climate change – and other societal challenges – in a meaningful way.
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Repurposing buildings:
The environmental benefits
50-50% lower carbon footprint
Repurposing buildings:
The environmental benefits
50-75% lower carbon footprint
Supporting communities
We’re repurposing buildings to serve growing local needs and aiming to reinvest 90% of our net profits (after returns to investors) into community-based projects.
Prioritising good governance
We’re applying for Pending B Corp status to solidify our commitment to being a purpose-driven business that creates measurable benefits for all stakeholders.
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Spread the word
We love connecting with others who care about sustainable business. If this is you – or anyone in your network – please talk about us, write about us, link to us and connect with us.
Together, we’ll make a difference.