New data confirms 2024 will be the hottest year on record and the first...

CNN Climate 2 years ago

New data confirms 2024 will be the hottest year on record and the first calendar year to exceed the Paris Agreement threshold — devastating news for the planet that comes as America chooses a president that has promised to undo its climate progress both at home and abroad. Nearly all the world's countries pledged to strive to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius in the Paris Agreement, which scientists said would prevent cascading and worsening impacts such as droughts, heat waves and catastrophic sea level rise. They warn at that level, the human-caused climate crisis — fueled by heat-trapping fossil fuel pollution — begins to exceed the ability of humans and the natural world to adapt. Data released Wednesday by Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service shows 2024 is "virtually certain" to shoot above that threshold. President-elect Donald Trump, a noted climate denier, pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement during his first term and has vowed to do it again in his second. But the new data makes it clear further delays in climate action from leading global economies will ensure even higher levels of warming are reached, and with it, ever worsening impacts. Read more at the link in @cnn's bio. 📸: Apu Gomes/Getty Images

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 24 days ago



Financial institutions are accelerating sustainable construction by aligning lending with measurable environmental performance. Santander UK’s decision to adapt mortgage models for Octopus Energy’s Zero Bills homes integrates credit policy with energy-efficient buildings, translating net zero carbon ambitions into mainstream financial metrics. This shift signals the emergence of whole life carbon assessment as a determinant in property valuation and positions embodied carbon and life cycle cost analysis as standard tools of risk management across the sector.

Digital transformation is amplifying the movement. The Monklands digital hospital project in Scotland demonstrates how offsite manufacturing, lifecycle assessment and connected data platforms enhance building lifecycle performance, minimise waste, and verify embodied carbon in materials. Durham’s adoption of digital planning and assessment tools reflects a broader drive toward resource efficiency in construction and environmental sustainability in construction. Together these initiatives redefine sustainable building design by embedding whole life carbon accountability into design and delivery workflows.

Policy remains an enabling force but the centre of momentum is shifting from government mandates to operational proof. A renewed national emphasis on green affordability and the integration of social equity with decarbonising the built environment are reinforcing the transition toward net zero whole life carbon outcomes. These developments illustrate a maturing circular economy in construction where sustainable building practices, low carbon design and eco-design for buildings converge to deliver verifiable carbon footprint reduction. The industry’s direction is now measurable—kilograms of CO₂, minutes saved, resources reused—evidence that green construction is evolving from aspiration to tangible low carbon building performance.

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