U.K. MPs Say Building Demolitions Must be Reduced

United Kingdom's MPs argue that the number of buildings demolished must be reduced because demolition and rebuilding contribute to climate change. Previously, developers were encouraged to demolish old, poorly-insulated homes and offices and replace them with newer, less-heated structures.

Recently, the government agreed with engineers who argued that replacing buildings was often detrimental to the environment in the short and medium term.This is because many emissions are produced when building materials such as steel, cement, bricks, glass, aluminium, and plastics are manufactured.

By necessitating the production of two lots of construction materials, demolishing and rebuilding generates double emissions. According to the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, the government's recent decision to loosen planning rules may result in an unintended increase in demolition.

It insists that emissions generated during building construction must be reduced if the UK is to meet its climate change targets. The Committee chairman, Philip Dunne MP, said: "From homes to offices, retail units to hospitality venues, our buildings have a significant amount of locked-in carbon, which is wasted each time they get knocked down to be rebuilt, a process which produces yet more emissions. Ministers must address this urgently."