Thousands of people are estimated to have lost their lives, according to a...

CNN Climate 1 year ago

Thousands of people are estimated to have lost their lives, according to a first-of-its-kind rapid analysis study. A team of researchers, led by Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, looked at 10 days of extreme heat between June 23 and July 2 across 12 European cities, including London, Paris, Athens, Madrid and Rome. They used historical weather data to calculate how intense the heat would have been if humans had not burned fossil fuels and warmed the world by 1.3 degrees Celsius. They found climate change made Europe's heat wave 1 to 4 degrees Celsius (1.8 to 7.2 Fahrenheit) hotter. The scientists then used research on the relationship between heat and daily deaths to estimate how many people lost their lives. They found approximately 2,300 people died during ten days of heat across the 12 cities, around 1,500 more than would have died in a world without climate change. In other words, global heating was responsible for 65% of the total death toll. Tap the link in bio for more. 📸 : AFP via Getty Images

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 11 hours ago



Britain’s construction sector faces structural transformation as the Climate Change Committee warns that the nation’s housing, workplaces, and infrastructure remain designed for a climate that no longer exists. The call for adaptation is now underpinned by policy momentum: the proposed Energy Independence Bill positions renewable generation and low carbon design as core to national security. This reframes sustainable construction as critical infrastructure rather than discretionary ambition, aligning with the drive toward net zero carbon and resilience in the built environment.

Across the industry, innovation in eco‑design for buildings and renewable building materials demonstrates measurable progress in reducing embodied carbon and improving whole life carbon performance. West Fraser’s CaberShield ECO flooring system reflects how low embodied carbon materials can meet conventional durability standards while supporting environmental sustainability in construction. The move toward circular economy principles and life cycle thinking in construction is reinforced by advanced digital modelling for whole life carbon assessment, generating data that informs retrofit strategies and life cycle cost optimisation.

Professional engagement is intensifying as institutions such as the RICS advocate collaboration to deliver net zero carbon buildings and end‑of‑life reuse in construction. Despite softening market conditions and reduced housing registrations, developers are being urged to adopt sustainable building practices that ensure long‑term building lifecycle performance and minimise the carbon footprint of construction.

Sustained funding, enforcement, and material innovation are essential to decarbonising the built environment. Achieving net zero whole life carbon will depend on integrating sustainable material specification, environmental product declarations (EPDs), and circular construction strategies into every phase of design and delivery. Britain’s green construction agenda will only succeed if sustainable building design evolves from aspiration to standard practice, ensuring that each low carbon building contributes to a resilient, energy‑efficient, and resource‑efficient future.

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