The 2023 Canadian forest fires released about 640 million metric tons of carbon, according to a @NASA study. That’s comparable to the annual fossil fuel emissions of a large industrialized nation. The fires were driven by Canada’s warmest and driest conditions in decades.
If events like these become more typical, they could impact global climate. That’s because Canada’s vast forests make up one of the planet’s important carbon sinks, meaning that they absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they release.
In this animation showing data from summer 2023, carbon monoxide from Canada wildfires curls thousands of miles across North America. Lower concentrations are shown in purple; higher concentrations are in yellow. Red triangles indicate fire hotspots.
Image Description:
Data visualization over a map of North America. Most of the land is purple, which indicates lower concentrations of carbon monoxide. Large yellow and orange swirls start at fire hotspots in Canada and then sweep across the U.S. A color bar at the top of the video relates color to the concentration of carbon monoxide from Canada wildfires.
#Wildfires #Carbon #CarbonMonoxide #FireSeason #Canada
Sustainable construction is moving from ESG aspiration to financial discipline. More than 830 companies and investors now back TNFD nature-risk disclosure, including investors with $26tr under management and listed firms worth $10.5tr. For developers, designers and material suppliers, environmental sustainability in construction is becoming inseparable from balance-sheet risk, whole life carbon, embodied carbon and credible whole life carbon assessment.
Climate exposure is also redefining sustainable building design. Insurers are reported to be retreating from some climate-risk cover, making life cycle cost, building lifecycle performance and resilience central to investment decisions. Satellite evidence of uneven urban subsidence, including coastal Jakarta sinking by up to 7cm a year in some areas, underlines the need for sustainable design, low carbon design, robust foundations, drainage and green infrastructure from the earliest project stages. Southern England’s severe water stress and tougher regulatory checks on corporate water use reinforce the commercial case for energy-efficient buildings, water-conscious eco-design for buildings and sustainable urban development.
Materials transparency is becoming a decisive test for green construction. Think Timber’s new pricing and supply-chain data platform points to the practical data needed to scale renewable building materials, green building materials and low carbon construction materials beyond flagship schemes. Stronger visibility over timber supply, sustainable material specification and embodied carbon in materials supports lifecycle assessment, environmental product declarations (EPDs), resource efficiency in construction and more reliable procurement for net zero carbon buildings.
The defence of the EU emissions trading system by energy and business groups signals intensifying pressure on cement, steel and other carbon-heavy inputs. The carbon footprint of construction will be priced more directly, accelerating demand for low embodied carbon materials, carbon footprint reduction, carbon neutral construction and decarbonising the built environment. Firms pursuing net zero whole life carbon will need circular economy thinking, circular economy in construction, circular construction strategies and end-of-life reuse in construction rather than isolated product substitutions.
UK construction output fell 1% in the second quarter, sharpening the commercial test for sustainable building practices. The strongest firms will make low-impact construction, eco-friendly construction and net zero carbon delivery repeatable rather than bespoke. BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and similar frameworks will matter most where they support life cycle thinking in construction, measurable building performance and lower environmental impact of construction. Green building is no longer a marketing claim; it is risk management, insurability and long-term asset protection.
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