Knocking Down Old Homes Adds to Climate Change
Victorian and Edwardian homes that are being demolished by the tens of thousands are not helping towards the concerning climate changes.
The amount of carbon dioxide that is giving off during the building of replacement homes is far greater than if houses were upgraded to higher efficiency standards.
The Government-funded Empty Homes Agency commissioned researchers to compare the amount of carbon dioxide and it was found to be four-and-a-half times higher than refurbishing existing dwellings.
Henry Oliver, policy advisor at the Agency said: “The crucial thing is that nobody has done these calculations before. This report covers new ground by revealing just how much of the carbon emitted over a building’s lifetime is accounted for by initial construction”.
The amount of energy that has been involved with the construction of a house was previously assumed to represent 10 per cent used over the buildings lifetime.
According to a report from ‘New Trick with Old Bricks” it was found that building a new home can add up to almost 30 per cent of the emissions over the lifetime of the building.
The British Property Federation (BPF) is backing the Empty Homes Agency’s call for a cut in the 17.5 per cent costs in VAT repairs and renovation to existing buildings.
The Federation’s chief executive Liz Peace said “This report throws a welcome argument into the mix and we fully support moves to bring old homes back into use.
Empty Houses in England
There are over 288,000 homes in England that have been empty for more than six months. Reasons for being empty are from speculators buying and leaving properties empty to cash in later on capital gains, to the cost of repairing and modernising houses the owner cannot afford or is unwilling to spend.
The Agency has called upon the Government to abolish the discount of up to 50 per cent of council tax that local authorities offer for empty homes.
Gordon Brown has announced he want to build three million new homes by 2020 but the independent charity Empty Homes Agency has now pointed out the increased carbon dioxide measures that building new houses will cause. They are asking for better use of houses that are standing empty rather than raise new buildings.
The breakdown of the carbon dioxide that is emitted through building new homes arises from the results of quarrying, brick making and extra vehicles to transport the materials needed. Not to mention what is thrown into the air when demolishing old buildings.
Housing Minister Caroline Flint was quoted as saying “This is not a question of ‘either/or’ – with housing contributing 27 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions we must both build greener new homes and make the best possible use of existing empty houses.
Cutting down the carbon dioxide and providing the country with more homes is something that should be taken more serious by the Government and it would also relate to saving the equivalent of three million cards being taken off the roads for a year.
