Friday, 5th November: The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has welcomed the inclusion of whole life carbon targets for construction in the Climate Action Plan 2021.
According to an initial assessment of carbon emissions associated with construction and operation of the Irish built environment published by the IGBC, embodied emissions account for 11% of Ireland’s emissions, the same as residential heating. To date, these emissions associated with the production and transportation of construction materials, and with constructing buildings and infrastructure, have been largely ignored.
Pat Barry, CEO of the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) said: “Our industry is both resource and carbon intensive. We cannot reach our climate targets if we don’t address embodied emissions in construction. We are hence pleased with the commitments to carbon proof all major investments and to decrease embodied carbon in building materials contained in the plan”.
For the first time, the Climate Action Plan 2021 includes a commitment to introduce life-cycle assessment requirements for buildings and construction products and processes, as well as a commitment to develop a certification for recycled construction products. It also mandates the inclusion of green criteria in all public procurement from 2023 to ensure that what is built is consistent with Ireland’s climate ambition.
Besides measures to address whole life carbon in the built environment, the IGBC has welcomed the new objective to enable 500,000 daily sustainable travel journeys by 2030.
Mr Barry added: “It’s clear that switching to electric cars won’t be sufficient to reach climate neutrality. Investment in active travel is welcomed but we must also change the way we build. The plan highlights the need to prioritise compact development, but clear, concrete actions are needed to achieve this objective. Half a million homes must be built by 2040. We must ensure all these homes are in walkable areas”.
The Irish Green Building Council also welcomes the national retrofit programme presented in the plan and the introduction of micro and small-scale generation schemes, alongside the review of the current planning exemptions relating to solar panels.
“The inclusion of all these actions in the Climate Action Plan 2021 is a positive step in the right direction. But, with less than a decade to act, we must now look at the details of the plan and focus on implementation. The IGBC and its members look forward to working with Government to support Ireland’s transition to a circular, carbon neutral built environment” Mr Barry said.