The IHBC has welcomed the theme and publication of Heritage Counts, led by Historic England (HE), which examines the environmental value of our built historic environment, focusing on carbon.
IHBC Technical Panel convenor John Edwards said: ‘We warmly welcome this Historic England report as carbon is the key issue and bringing about a much better understanding in this area is essential.’
‘The IHBC Technical Panel will be looking at this document to see how it can help instil greater knowledge into IHBC membership concerning an holistic approach towards the energy efficiency of traditional and historic buildings with an essential focus on carbon.’
HE writes:
Buildings and the construction industry are one of the largest carbon polluters in the UK today and there is consensus that we urgently need to tackle carbon emissions from buildings.
The following report highlights the importance of our built historic environment and explains why it has a vital role to play in the journey towards a low carbon future.
Understanding carbon in the historic environment
Historic England commissioned Carrig Conservation International to undertake a research project for Heritage Counts entitled “Understanding carbon in the historic environment”.
Using actual data from two historic building case studies the consultants developed a life cycle assessment model to estimate the whole life carbon emissions before and after different energy efficient refurbishment scenarios.
The research shows that carbon emissions are reduced by more than 60% by 2050 as a result of the refurbishment and retrofit options.
Valuing carbon in pre-1919 residential buildings
This short paper compares the carbon emissions of pre-1919 residential buildings in England – and their consequent monetary value under a range of retrofitting scenarios.
