As professionals we have the opportunity to assist in the development of new legislation in respect of climate change, New Zealand invites you to review their proposals and submit your comments by 30 September 2020.
This is the first public consultation under the new Building for Climate Change programme – the building and construction sector’s contribution to New Zealand’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) seeks your views on our proposals to increase the operational efficiency of buildings, and to reduce the embodied carbon across the lifecycle of buildings as part of the Building for Climate Change programme.
Transforming operational efficiency
MBIE has set out 3 main objectives to increasing a building’s operational efficiency:
- reduce operational carbon emissions,
- reduce water use, and
- Improve the health and wellbeing of occupants by improving buildings’ indoor environmental qualities (IEQ).
Whole-of-life embodied carbon emissions reduction framework
A building’s embodied carbon is the emissions associated with the construction materials and products across the lifecycle of the building. It includes the emissions from producing, transporting, constructing, replacing and disposing of materials and products used in a building.
The amount of embodied carbon in a new building depends on:
- The building’s size,
- The amount and type of construction materials and products used,
- The carbon emissions associated with these materials and products.