Retrofitting is the key to a net zero city, says NLA report

Massively prioritising retrofit work over new build is the single most important way the built environment sector can tackle the climate crisis, a new survey by New London Architecture has found.

The report – which surveyed 100 companies in the sector in September – found 'retrofitting to become 90 per cent of the work of the built environment professionals' was voted the approach that would have the biggest impact on climate change.

The report, Road to Net Zero by 2050, was also sharply critical of the government's progress towards meeting its legally binding net zero commitment, with 85 per cent of respondents saying current policy and regulations were incompatible with the target.

Just 34 per cent of those surveyed said they believed London was on track to meet the 2050 deadline, with this figure dropping to 22 per cent for the UK as a whole.

NLA director Catherine Staniland said: "London is home to an amazing proliferation of intiatives and projects to help London become a net zero carbon city. However, our member survey showed that we risk falling off track unless our national policies and regulations fully align with these ambitions."

The report showcases 80 examples of buildings, masterplans, infrastructure and toolkits 'that support London's transition to a low-carbon city'. It was also positive about the opportunities for swift climate action given the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting opportunity for green economic stimulus.

Over 90 per cent of those surveyed said the crisis could be an opportunity to transform our way of life, act in a more environmentally conscious way and transition to a net zero economy.

Of the 33 local authorities in London, 27 have so far declared a climate emergency but the report warned that progress in development and construction is also being held up by a lack of common standards and shareable data, time and scale and lack of skills and knowledge.

This article first appeared on Architects' Journal written by Will Hurst

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