Deep within New Zealand's Nelson Lakes National Park, about a two-day hike...

CNN Climate 8 months ago

Deep within New Zealand's Nelson Lakes National Park, about a two-day hike from the nearest civilization, lies Rotomairewhenua, or Blue Lake. It was first discovered by Ngāti Apa, a Māori iwi, or tribe. It became a sacred place where they cleansed the bones of the dead, believing this would secure the spirit a safe journey to the ancestral Māori homeland of Hawaiki. Hikers have long commented on the lake's extraordinary color, but it was only around a decade ago that scientists discovered that the water of the sub-alpine lake had "exceptional optical purity" with a visibility of between 70 and 80 meters. That's in line with that of pure water, which they said made it "the most visually clear freshwater yet reported." The title of "clearest lake in the world" and photos of the stunning landscape have since been shared widely on social media, making the lake a popular tourist destination between December and March (during New Zealand's summer). But conservationists and the Ngāti Apa now fear that this increased popularity could threaten the purity of the lake. Read more at the link in @cnntravel's bio. 📸: Janet Newell; John Wotherspoon; Paul Bryant/Genesis Energy Ltd

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 9 hours ago



The construction sector is entering a decisive stage in its push toward sustainable building design, shaped by new policy advocacy, improved regulation, and demonstrable industry commitments. The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) has formally supported the Architects Climate Action Network’s Circular Economy Policy Campaign, a move signalling broader acceptance of circular economy principles as central to environmental sustainability in construction. The focus on reuse, adaptability, and end‑of‑life reuse in construction reflects a maturing understanding that the carbon footprint of construction extends across a building’s entire lifespan. Introducing whole life carbon assessment as part of standard design processes is becoming a practical necessity for both cost management and long‑term resilience.

Equans UK & Ireland’s status as a Building a Safer Future (BSF) Champion highlights how sustainable design and accountability increasingly overlap with safety and social responsibility. The company’s recognition shows that decarbonising the built environment demands organisation‑wide transparency backed by measurable sustainability targets. Integrating lifecycle assessment across the supply chain ensures that embodied carbon in materials and operations is quantified and reduced. This shift towards low carbon design complements broader frameworks such as BREEAM and the forthcoming BREEAM v7 updates, both reinforcing the importance of life cycle thinking in construction.

Regulators are beginning to respond to industry calls for a streamlined approach that maintains ecological rigour while reducing unnecessary bureaucracy. The proposed reforms to environmental permits illustrate that practical compliance can coexist with high environmental performance when founded on evidence‑based life cycle cost analysis. Clear guidance on sustainable material specification and environmental product declarations (EPDs) can support consistent measurement of carbon footprint reduction across projects. This regulatory evolution encourages wider adoption of resource efficiency in construction, particularly as governments commit to net zero carbon and carbon neutral construction targets.

Recent research into circular economy in construction, inspired by modular telecoms infrastructure, demonstrates tangible potential for embodied carbon reduction. Applying circular construction strategies to wider sectors could significantly improve building lifecycle performance and deliver major financial and environmental savings. Modular, renewable building materials and low embodied carbon materials extend the service life of assets and underpin the shift to low‑impact construction models. As net zero whole life carbon frameworks become embedded, reuse and refurbishment will play equal roles alongside green building products and renewable design innovation.

The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall, driven in part by energy‑efficient buildings, low carbon construction materials, and a stronger focus on whole life carbon metrics. Challenges remain in housing retrofits, supply chain emissions, and verifiable reporting, but sustainable building practices are advancing rapidly. The convergence of eco‑design for buildings, sustainable architecture, and green infrastructure shows that sustainability is no longer a niche aspiration but a defining measure of quality. Genuine progress depends on integrating evaluation tools, transparent data, and consistent application of sustainable construction principles so that every low carbon building actively contributes to the net zero carbon future the sector now strives to achieve.

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