November is Green Month at MLA
Last week, the latest UN Emissions Gap Report determined that although limiting global warming to 1.5°C is still achievable, currently there is no “credible pathway” in place to meet this goal. This extremely serious statement acts as stark reminder that every single kg of CO2 released into the atmosphere matters and that the Construction Industry has a big part to play in addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis.
One impactful way to achieve carbon emissions reductions within the Built Environment is by prolonging the life and improving the performance of existing buildings. This will not only reduce the operational carbon of buildings in use, but will also avoid significant Greenhouse Gas emissions and waste associated with new constructions.
For this reason, today we kick off Green Month at MLA, which will focus on the theme of Retrofit and its importance in tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis.
Following on from the work done in March 2021 to raise awareness and enhance our understanding of sustainability in design, the MLA Green Team have organised a diverse series of CPDs and events, including talks from EALA Impact, Collective Architecture, Arup Facades and Timber Design Initiatives.
We’ll also look at a number of our own projects; past, present and future over the course of the month to see what we’re doing well and how we can do better.
Look out for more across the month from our sustainability group as we delve into the topic of Retrofit.
Pictured: A selection of retrofit projects by MLA; Meldrum House, Glenkinchie and Baltic Street.