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

NASA Climate Change 2 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 1 hour ago



Momentum in sustainable construction is now driven by tangible progress in materials and methods rather than declarations. The focus on reducing embodied carbon in materials and undertaking robust whole life carbon assessment is reshaping how developers, architects and engineers define sustainable building design. Initiatives such as the Reducing Plastics in Construction Summit reinforce the value of renewable building materials, eco-design for buildings and circular economy in construction frameworks to eliminate petroleum-based polymers and improve resource efficiency in construction.

Biobased composites, recyclable resins and modular approaches are being evaluated through lifecycle assessment tools that can accurately measure the carbon footprint of construction and inform sustainable material specification throughout each project stage. Digitisation is rapidly becoming integral to low carbon design and energy-efficient buildings. Advanced platforms now enable unified modelling of cost, performance and carbon, aligning lifecycle cost optimisation with environmental sustainability in construction.

TM2 Bygg’s software-led method illustrates how low carbon building processes built on data-driven insights help achieve net zero carbon buildings and deliver improved building lifecycle performance. At the policy level, regulators are reinforcing requirements for measurable reductions in embodied carbon and clear evidence of net zero whole life carbon outcomes. These shifts point toward an industry-wide transformation grounded in whole life carbon transparency and the adoption of BREEAM v7 and other sustainable building practices to standardise reporting.

The result is a market that values circular construction strategies, end-of-life reuse in construction and environmental product declarations (EPDs) as verification of a project’s environmental impact of construction. New renewable energy infrastructure, including next‑generation geothermal systems, could redefine the carbon footprint reduction potential of green building materials and low carbon construction materials. As baseload renewables expand, achieving carbon neutral construction and sustainable urban development becomes increasingly viable. The sector is moving beyond pilot projects toward a mature phase of green construction, integrating life cycle thinking in construction and decarbonising the built environment as core business practice.

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