WorldGBC Advancing Net Zero Status Report 2022 Overcoming Barriers: Renovating to Net Zero As the industry begins to adopt a whole life carbon approach to decarbonising the built environment, it is increasingly clear that renovation and retrofitting of existing assets must play a critical role in this transformation. The easiest way to reduce or avoid embodied carbon, is to prevent it being incurred in the first place. The sector must prioritise renovation and retrofitting that allows for the reuse of existing buildings, extending the lifecycle and minimising the embodied carbon incurred compared to a new development. Where reuse is not possible, then all stakeholders involved in a new development should reduce and optimise. This means applying whole life cycle thinking, evaluating each design and construction choice using a whole lifecycle approach to minimise the impact of upfront embodied carbon, including embodied carbon at later lifecycle stages such as refurbishment and maintenance. Implementing this approach will give us the best chance of staying on track to a 1.5°C scenario and within allotted carbon budgets. We asked our Advancing Net Zero Global Programme Partners to share what they are doing to reduce emissions from existing buildings. PAGE 62
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