Photos by James Whitlow Delano @jameswhitlowdelano for @everydayclimatechange...

Every Day Climate Change 1 year ago

Photos by James Whitlow Delano @jameswhitlowdelano for @everydayclimatechange As summer reaches record heat, and talk turns to the warming planet, it again becomes clear to me that only a few voices in the US can get a word in edgewise. We need more voices, voices of those in the field witnessing and documenting the devastating consequences of our changing climate – not the same celebrity climate activists. 1. A fishing boat left behind on Lake Poopo, formerly Bolivia's second largest, that has completely dried up in large part due to climate change. Lake Poopo dried up completely in 2015. Poopo was suffering for years with increased meltwater diversion and contamination of water along its source, the Desaguadero River but prolonged decrease in rains and intense drought, due to climate change, led to this 2,400 sq km (926 sq. mi.) lake, an area five times larger than Lake Tahoe, to dry out completely, killing estimated 3 million fish and thousands of birds. 2. Riding this road in Bulakan (correct spelling), every day, during high tide is likely riding out to sea, due to rising sea levels and subsiding ground from over-exploitation of an underground aquifer. Bulakan (correct spelling(, Bulacan (correct spelling) Province, The Philippines 3. 2023: The sun filtered through the smoke of the forest fire in San José de Palco. Bío Bío, Chile. In the 13th year of a megadrought in Central Chile, over 425,000 hectares (1,050,197 acres) of forest have burned, most of it in dessicated monoculture tree plantations of highly flammable exotic species of eucalyptus and Monterey pine. At least 26 people have been killed and 2,000 injured. 4. The advancing Sahara: Small fields of wheat, irrigated by water from a solar powered pump drawn from a 15 meter deep well, are planted amid sand dunes which are encroaching upon the palmeraie oasis of M'Hamid. Morocco This palmeraie is drying out due to the the climate crisis and a dam build at the top of the valley at the base of the Atlas Mountains.

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 6 hours ago



Policy momentum in sustainable construction has reached a decisive stage as governments and investors tighten their focus on measurable outcomes linked to whole life carbon. The UK’s updated net zero strategy defines a structured pathway for decarbonising infrastructure and aligns the sector with national goals for net zero carbon buildings by 2035. Industry leaders are being compelled to conduct rigorous whole life carbon assessments and measure embodied carbon in materials to meet procurement and compliance requirements. Lifecycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis are becoming central to evaluating project viability, shifting emphasis from intent to verifiable performance across every phase of a building’s lifecycle.

The new framework underscores environmental sustainability in construction through stronger accountability for embodied carbon, energy-efficient buildings, and low carbon building design. Demand for renewable building materials and eco-design for buildings is rising as architects pursue sustainable building design and adopt low carbon construction materials that reduce the carbon footprint of construction projects. BREEAM and BREEAM V7 standards are increasingly used to benchmark resource efficiency in construction, circular economy principles, and lifecycle thinking in construction projects.

Financial initiatives are reinforcing these policy shifts. The Sizewell C financing package signals large-scale mobilisation of capital for low carbon infrastructure, illustrating how circular construction strategies and decarbonising the built environment are now core to national investment strategies. The Baku to Belém Roadmap’s focus on unlocking global climate finance underpins the importance of sustainable material specification and end-of-life reuse in construction, themes now critical to building lifecycle performance and green infrastructure delivery.

Collaborations such as the National Trust’s flood resilience projects highlight the convergence of green construction and nature-based solutions, advancing sustainable urban development and eco-friendly construction models. The rise of net zero whole life carbon reporting frameworks confirms that environmental product declarations (EPDs) and carbon footprint reduction metrics are evolving from voluntary standards into contractual obligations. Sustainable building practices, low-impact construction, and carbon neutral construction are no longer considered add-ons but the foundation of forward-facing real estate and infrastructure development worldwide.

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