Construction's embodied carbon problem: how do we incentivise retrofit over 'demolish and rebuild', with Joseph Kilroy (CIOB)

Zero Ambitions Podcast

Jeff received a press release that piqued his interest, so we invited the man behind the call to action, Joseph Kilroy, (Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)).

Joseph joins us to talk about their ideas for increasing the pace of change required to meet the ubiquitous net zero 2050 targets. They're calling for government to incentivise better building practices by using the tax system to create an economic environment that supports the spirit of climate legislation rather than undermining it.

Specifically, we talk about the impact that charging the full rate of VAT for demolition in Ireland would have if a reduced rate for repair and refurbishment was maintained, and the idea of introducing a levy for demolition as a similar catalyst. But these same ideas could probably be applied much the same anywhere.

Notes from the show

• Joseph Kilroy on Linkedin
• CIOB calls for reuse and refurbishment over demolition in Ireland and NI
• The CIOB website

Retrofit Reimagined
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We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

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