Flood insurance in hurricane-prone Crystal River, Florida, would have cost Gene Tener $12,000 a year. But the retired engineer has taken matters into his own hands. In the five years since he moved into his prefabricated home on stilts anchored deep into the bedrock, it has survived a succession of major storms, including Idalia, Debby and Helene.
An increasing number of homeowners like Tener appear to be — whether by choice or not — finding alternatives to flood insurance. Deltec says sales are growing, and while Linton believes people buy its homes for a variety reasons, not just storm protection, he estimates that around half of the company's business comes from hurricane-prone areas, with southeastern states proving to be its biggest market.
The climate crisis may be accelerating the trend. Experts say human-caused global warming is increasing the likelihood of more intense storms. Not only are they generating more rainfall and flattening the coasts with higher storm surges, they have stronger winds and are intensifying faster.
Read more at the link in our bio.
📸: Jeff Hall
Sustainable construction is moving from exemplar projects to market-wide system design, with clean steel emerging as a critical test for whole life carbon policy. A new study suggests the global shift to low-carbon steel could be achieved without raising consumer costs through a revenue-neutral policy model, strengthening the case for low embodied carbon materials in mainstream procurement.
For contractors, developers and public clients, the issue is no longer whether green building materials can perform, but how governments can de-risk low carbon construction materials, reduce the carbon footprint of construction and support net zero whole life carbon targets without shielding high-emission incumbents.
The UK retrofit agenda is becoming central to environmental sustainability in construction. The National Retrofit Hub’s call for a stronger framework comes as electricity and gas prices begin to decouple, improving the life cycle cost case for heat pumps, energy-efficient buildings and electrified homes.
Retrofit policy now needs consistent standards, skilled delivery capacity and consumer protection, backed by whole life carbon assessment, lifecycle assessment and better evidence on building lifecycle performance. Public support for requiring data centres to share waste heat with nearby homes signals a shift in sustainable urban development, treating rejected heat as green infrastructure rather than waste.
Climate adaptation is also reshaping sustainable building practices. GRAHAM’s appointment to deliver the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme highlights rising investment in resilience, while reports of roads melting in eastern England expose the environmental impact of construction decisions based on historic weather assumptions.
The built environment is being asked to cut embodied carbon in materials while improving durability against heat, flooding and infrastructure stress. The strongest response will combine sustainable building design, low carbon design, circular economy in construction, sustainable material specification, environmental product declarations (EPDs) and end-of-life reuse in construction. BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and other performance frameworks are likely to play a growing role as clients demand net zero carbon buildings, resource efficiency in construction and credible carbon footprint reduction across the full asset lifecycle.
Whole Life Carbon is a platform for the entire construction industry—both in the UK and internationally. We track the latest publications, debates, and events related to whole life guidance and sustainability. If you have any enquiries or opinions to share, please do
get in touch.
Let's chat!
WLC Assistant
Ask me about sustainability
Hi! I'm your Whole Life Carbon assistant. I can help you learn about sustainability, carbon assessment, and navigate our resources. How can I help you today?
