Carbon Triggers: The Big Debate
Join The Fifth Estate for the next Big Debate – a panel discussion and audience vote to decide if Australia is ready to mandate carbon budgets for building projects to avoid demolition.
The topic
Embodied carbon is one of the biggest rising concerns for the built environment.
Whether you’re an architect, engineer, developer or consultant, you know how volatile the mention of carbon is.
Tearing down buildings today is increasingly seen as a bad idea – the argument is we need to retain all the carbon we can.
Legislation
In the UK, the London Plan prompted global headlines when new planning provisions around carbon limits made it very difficult to demolish buildings and a furore emerged over the well-known department store, Marks & Spencer.
In Australia there’s emerging moves from governments to develop national frameworks along similar lines.
But is demolition always a bad idea?
Professionals say it sometimes takes more carbon to keep a building upright – or safe – than to build new.
How it works
Before the debate kicks off, you’ll be asked to vote on the proposition:
We need to mandate carbon limits for new projects to avoid (or stop) demolition of existing buildings
Our panellists will unpack their viewpoints, then we’ll ask for yours in a generous QandA session.
You’ll be invited to vote again and we’ll see if you’ve changed your mind.
