Runners already face a daunting challenge when they line up at the start of a...

CNN Climate 1 month ago

Runners already face a daunting challenge when they line up at the start of a marathon, but they might increasingly find themselves with another obstacle to reckon with: global warming. A new study claims that rising temperatures around the world will make it harder for elite athletes to break the marathon world record, or for recreational runners to hit their target times. Of the 221 races analyzed in the report from Climate Central released last week, 86% of them are less likely to have optimal racing conditions for runners by 2045. That includes last Sunday's New York City Marathon and the other six major marathons around the world — London, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago, Boston, and Sydney. For runners, the consequences of running in hot conditions can be extreme. "We've seen time and time again where athletes are passing out from dehydration and heat exhaustion during races and taking months to recover," Scottish distance runner Mhairi Maclennan told CNN Sports. Read more at the link in @cnnclimate's bio. 📸: Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images; Alex Davidson/Getty Images; Annegret Hilse/Reuters

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 2 hours ago



The UK construction industry faces a pivotal transition as mounting insolvencies and 11 consecutive months of contraction signal structural fragility in traditional contracting. Pressure is intensifying to align with the net zero carbon agenda through sustainable construction practices grounded in whole life carbon assessment, life cycle cost analysis, and embodied carbon reduction. A parliamentary committee has cautioned that inadequate government action on construction skills development jeopardises the nation’s capacity to deliver net zero carbon buildings and drive decarbonising the built environment. Without accelerated investment in training and sustainable material specification, the carbon footprint of construction will continue to rise, undermining environmental sustainability in construction.

In contrast, signs of resilience are emerging among manufacturers and specialist trades focusing on energy-efficient buildings, low carbon design, and the adoption of renewable building materials. Companies leveraging eco-design for buildings and sustainable building design principles are pursuing resource efficiency in construction and circular construction strategies to secure long-term profitability. The industry’s tentative reorientation towards green construction demonstrates an evolving understanding of building lifecycle performance, lifecycle assessment, and the importance of low embodied carbon materials in achieving sustainable building practices.

Private partnerships promoting upskilling and retrofitting, supported by preferential finance, are beginning to embed the principles of circular economy in construction and carbon neutral construction into market operations. The integration of environmental product declarations (EPDs), BREEAM and BREEAM v7 standards, and comprehensive whole life carbon accounting is advancing more transparent sustainable architecture frameworks. Unless matched by decisive government leadership closing the widening skills gap, green infrastructure progress will remain fragmented.

The prospect of a sector essential to sustainable urban development reaching net zero whole life carbon yet constrained by its own capacity deficit exposes a critical paradox in the quest for eco-friendly construction and long-term sustainability.

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