Global sea level saw a big jump from 2022 to 2023 due in part to a switch...

NASA Climate Change 3 years ago

Global sea level saw a big jump from 2022 to 2023 due in part to a switch between La Niña and El Niño conditions. A mild La Niña from 2021 to 2022 resulted in a lower-than-expected rise in sea level. A strong El Niño in 2023 helped boost the average amount of rise in sea surface height. Seasonal or periodic climate phenomena can affect global average sea level from year to year. But the underlying trend for more than three decades has been increasing ocean heights as a direct response to global warming due to the excessive heat trapped by greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. With more than 30 years of satellite observations, the data show that global average sea level has risen about 4 inches (9.4 centimeters) since 1993 and the rate of increase has more than doubled. #GlobalSeaLevel #SeaLevelRise #ClimateChange #NASAEarth #EarthData Video Description: In the center is an animated graph of Global Sea Level Rise from 1993 to 2023. On the X-axis are months January to December. The Y-axis goes from 0 centimeters to 10 centimeters. 0-0:07: As the years tick by at the top of the graph, lines of different shades of blue are added to the graph. Each new line appears above the last one graphed. The lines all have a similar smooth shape, with a slight bump around October. 0:08-0:10: The lines that were graphed all rotate together to form one single line. The line is jagged and trends upward. The months on the x-axis are swapped for the years 1990-2025. The y-axis remains the same.

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 8 hours ago



Sustainable construction is moving from ambition to enforceable systems change, with electrified buildings, resilience and whole life carbon now shaping development strategy. Calls for a UK 2035 electrification target covering heat pumps, solar, batteries and clean technologies put pressure on developers to align sustainable building design with low-carbon power, flexible demand and on-site generation. Fabric-first design remains vital, but net zero carbon buildings will increasingly depend on operational performance, smart controls and credible whole life carbon assessment.

Global energy markets are accelerating the shift. Forecasts of a 4,800GW rise in renewable capacity by 2035, supported by China’s clean-tech export strength, are changing the economics of building services. Heat pumps, battery storage and intelligent controls are becoming core infrastructure for energy-efficient buildings, not optional upgrades. Future-ready assets will need low carbon design capable of using variable clean electricity while protecting occupiers from volatile fossil fuel costs and reducing the carbon footprint of construction over time.

Regulation is tightening around measurable performance. The Future Homes Standard is forcing design teams to reassess roofs, floors, comfort, ventilation and commissioning, while building-controls specialists are urging ministers to turn efficiency policy into practical support for businesses. BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and lifecycle assessment frameworks are becoming more important for demonstrating environmental sustainability in construction, linking embodied carbon, operational energy, life cycle cost and building lifecycle performance in a single evidence base.

The next phase of green construction will demand stronger action on embodied carbon in materials, low carbon construction materials and sustainable material specification. Developers, architects and contractors face growing pressure to use environmental product declarations (EPDs), low embodied carbon materials, renewable building materials and green building products to prove carbon footprint reduction. Circular economy in construction is also moving up the agenda, with circular construction strategies, resource efficiency in construction and end-of-life reuse in construction becoming central to net zero whole life carbon delivery.

Climate adaptation is now a capital planning issue. New flood and coastal-defence schemes in England and Wales show that green infrastructure, sustainable urban development and low-impact construction must protect assets from climate risks already locked in. Sustainable architecture and eco-design for buildings can no longer treat resilience separately from decarbonising the built environment. The industry must deliver eco-friendly construction, carbon neutral construction and sustainable building practices that reduce the environmental impact of construction while preparing communities for more extreme weather.

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