The building industry stands ready to decarbonise, but needs support, clear guidance and ambitious regulation to meet its climate targets. This is the message of a major new report, Building A Zero Carbon Ireland: Industry Insights & Actions by the Irish Green Building Council.
“As this new report shows us, by embracing Whole Life Carbon (WLC), circularity and collaboration across the entire building and construction sector, Ireland can deliver on its climate targets and inspire Europe,” said World Green Building Council CEO Cristina Gamboa.
“This is a vital roadmap for turning ambition into action, and aligns with World Green Building Council’s global call to the world to#BeBoldOnBuildings – because together, we can show that buildings are one of the greatest opportunities of our time to construct a better future for people, communities, business, and the planet. I commend the Irish Green Building Council for leading this transformation.”
Meanwhile, IGBC CEO Pat Barry said: “The building industry is willing to take ambitious action on carbon emissions, but as our research shows, it also needs support and guidance, including the removal of regulatory barriers and the introduction of limits on lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, to drive change and innovation.”
Construction and the built environment are responsible for 37% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions, the same as agriculture. This new publication provides an update on the IGBC’s original Building A Zero Carbon Ireland roadmap (2022).
The report, available at www.BuildingAZeroCarbonIreland.ie, includes practical actions and case studies for those in the industry.
It found that SMEs in particular need support and guidance to decarbonise, and that collaboration around carbon reduction isn’t happening effectively on many construction projects. Please see below for a text of the report summary.
The theme of this year’s World Green Building Week is #BeBoldOnBuildings – highlighting how greener buildings aren’t just good for the planet, they’re smart for business too. As well as highlighting how the industry is ready to act, this year’s lineup of events showcases businesses taking steps to construct a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and more biodiverse built environment.