In the past, developers have been encouraged to demolish old homes and offices, and to install buildings that require less heating.The number of demolished buildings must be reduced because demolition and reconstruction add to climate change, MPs said.The government recently agreed with engineers who say that building changes often damage the climate in the short and medium term.That is because most of the exhaust gas is created to make building materials – such as metal, cement, bricks, glass, aluminum and plastics.
UK is to meet its climate change targets
Demolition and reconstruction create double gas emissions by requiring the construction of large quantities of building materials. The Commons Environmental Audit Committee says the government’s recent decision to relax planning rules could lead to an increase in unintentional demolition.It emphasizes that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced if the UK is to meet its climate change targets
The committee’s chairman, Philip Dunne MP, stated: “From the houses to the offices, to the stalls and to the reception areas, our buildings contain a large amount of carbon dioxide, which is destroyed each time they are demolished for reconstruction, a process that produces more pollution.”Ministers need to address this as soon as possible.”The government said it welcomed the report and considered the findings. A spokesman for the Department of Commerce said the UK was at the forefront of addressing greenhouse gas emissions.Do not demolish old buildings, appeal to architect.
Construction companies were told to stop demolishing buildings
The problem is strange. In places like the City of London, there is often pressure to make money on a high price of land by dropping and building lengths and some developers say that many buildings cannot be maintained and converted. Take the story of the Marks and Spencer Marble Arch store in London’s Oxford Street. Michael Gove, the UK’s chief planning officer, recently agreed to review the demolition plan.
M&S emphasizes that dropping what he calls a “mish-mash of poor, idle shopping” is a “green” option. The group’s Property Director Sacha Berendi acknowledged that climate change was an emergency.But he promised: “In the long run, a modern low-carbon building will eliminate any emissions from redevelopment.“The new building will be between the top 10 percentHe said within 17 years the low power consumption in the new building would exceed the smoke created by it.Will Hurst from the Architects Journal calculated that demolition and reconstruction will create 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
He told me: “Climate change is a real emergency but if M&S really thought that, they wouldn’t have created more gas when they needed more cuts.”He commented on the article in the magazine dezeen of Yamina Saheb, co-author of the United Nations Climate Change Panel, IPCC.
“The (construction) sector has not improved since World War II – and now, the data show that it lags behind all other sectors,” he told the magazine. The Commons Committee wants developers to be compelled to calculate carbon emissions throughout the life of buildings. It calls on the government to set targets for the construction industry, which is responsible for 25 percent of UK gas emissions.
Renovate as much of the old building
The fight against demolition is already raging in the UK, with leading architects and engineers calling for solutions such as adding stairs to existing buildings – such as the Standard Hotel near the St Pancrasstation. Another option is to renovate as much of the old building as possible, or to maintain the facade – or indeed the foundations, which require a large amount of cement using carbon.
Now there is pressure for a major new renovation award for architects to stay close to the Sterling Award, some claiming to show off the magnificent creations that have shown the least amount of concern for nature.
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