The Built Environment and Climate with Tommy Linstroth
Sep 14, 2023
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Tommy Linstroth discusses the role of construction in carbon emissions and the importance of environmentally conscious building. The challenges of third party building certification are explored, along with the government's role and incentives in promoting green building practices. Advances in low carbon construction technologies are discussed, emphasizing sustainability as a business strategy. The involvement of construction team members in sustainable design and the creation of Green Badger are highlighted. The future of green buildings and solutions to combat climate change are discussed optimistically.
Green building certification programs provide credibility and assurance to homeowners and tenants, but the paperwork and documentation required can be burdensome, necessitating the need for streamlined and automated processes.
Government regulations and incentives, such as LEED requirements for federally funded projects and the Inflation Reduction Act, create legal requirements and financial motivations for industry leaders to adopt sustainable technologies, making sustainability a crucial business strategy.
Deep dives
The Impact of Construction on Climate
Construction in the built environment accounts for 40% of global carbon emissions. The decisions made during construction have long-lasting impacts on carbon and climate, sometimes up to 50 to 100 years in the future. Green building certification programs, such as LEED and WELL, ensure that claims of environmental impact reduction are actually met. These certifications provide credibility and assurance to homeowners and tenants that they are receiving what they signed up for. However, the paperwork and documentation required for certification can be burdensome, making it important to streamline and automate the process to encourage greater adoption.
The Role of Government and Incentives in Transformation
Government regulations and incentives play a powerful role in driving the adoption of sustainable construction practices. Building certifications like LEED are required for federally funded projects, and many municipalities require green building certifications for publicly funded projects or certain building types. The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act offers incentives for retrofits and improvements to existing buildings to decrease energy consumption. These regulations and incentives create both legal requirements and financial motivations for industry leaders to consider adopting sustainable technologies, making sustainability a crucial business strategy.
The Future of Low Carbon Construction Technologies
Advances in low carbon construction technologies are evolving rapidly, particularly in reducing embodied carbon in building materials. Benchmarking projects and measuring their impact is an essential starting point to identify areas for improvement. Concrete and structural steel, which have high embodied carbon, are already seeing efforts to reduce their impact, and this trend is extending to other materials like carpets, ceiling tiles, and drywalls. Financial motivators, as well as demands from investors, clients, and portfolio managers, are driving the industry toward adopting sustainable technologies at a larger scale. Involving construction teams early in the design process and embracing integrated design strategies can also facilitate the adoption of sustainable technologies.