Architecture, Design & Innovation: Clarity begins at #HomeGreenHome

Wednesday 26 September 2018

Clarity begins at #HomeGreenHome

With the launch of World Green Building Week, Martin Fahey looks at why the focus this year is on you and your home.

This week sees the start of this year’s World Green Building Week and when you read headlines from the UN Secretary General saying that “Climate change is moving faster than we are,”’ then it is clear to see why we all need to get behind this initiative.

The World Green Building Council (WGBC) is calling on everyone, everywhere to make a simple promise on how they will change something about their home.

The reason for this is that our buildings account for 40% of global energy consumption – which is more than a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Finding ways to make our own home greener and more energy efficient is something that we can all start to do right now and it doesn’t have to cost the earth – either for us as individuals or for our one and only planet!

If we all reduced our energy consumption by just 20%, this would result in savings of over half a metric ton of CO2 per house and collectively, this is going to result in a huge reduction for the country.

The ‘My #HomeGreenHome promise is a way of finding one simple thing that you can do that will help improve your carbon footprint. I, for example, already have a hybrid car and recycle as much as I can, so I’m going to get my family to compost food waste more.

Positive signs

I know some people who feel it’s up to industry and government to sort all this out and that whatever they do as one ‘little’ individual is pointless, but I would argue that serious change is only going to come about when all of us do every little thing we can to make a difference.

And this is where the collective power of individuals really will effect change.

Both government and industry are working hard to find ways to reduce the effects of climate change and, whilst there are many reasons behind this, the growing awareness amongst consumers of the environmental impact that the products they buy is putting pressure on the market.

You see, collectively, individuals can make a difference!

The news that UK carbon emissions in August hit the lowest levels since World War II is an excellent sign that we are making progress but more needs to be done.

This article was originally featured on The Hub. To continue reading the next segment, ‘So what can you do?’, visit: https://les.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/the-hub/homegreenhome