#ArchitectsDeclare and many built environment professionals are calling for the federal government to update the National Construction Code to mandate net zero emissions for new housing from 2022. Not in the future - but right now. Why?
Australian homes contribute 13-20% of our national CO2-e emissions, They don’t need to.
The Australian architecture and building industry knows how to create net zero emission homes – cost effectively. It simply requires energy efficient design, roofs to be oriented for solar access and photovoltaics to be installed.
The additional costs for a net zero home compared to a 7* home are very low, about 2%, which are easily paid by savings in energy costs in the first 5-10 years.
Under the government’s proposed updates, each average sized new home will still be allowed to cause 5 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. That would require 3000 new tree per house to offset the emissions (during its 100 year lifetime).
By adjusting this to require net zero emissions, this can be completely turned around.
The most recent report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows we can avoid climate catastrophe, but only through immediate, deep and sustained emissions reductions. Every tonne of emissions counts. Changing this building code will do just this. If it demands that all new houses be designed and build to produce Net Zero Emissions.
Some articles from the Fifth Estate discussing this include: