The article “The Elephant in the Room: Deconstruction Reduces Embodied Carbon” discusses the significant environmental benefits of deconstruction as an alternative to traditional demolition.

By reusing materials from deconstructed buildings, substantial reductions in embodied carbon can be achieved. This practice not only lowers the overall carbon footprint but also offers financial savings and supports local economies through job creation in the recycling and reuse sectors.

In this episode of Specified Growth Podcast, Erick from Vema Deconstruction and our own Elisabeth talk about the deconstruction process and some of the main benefits involved. They also discuss the concept of sustainable demolition, different ways of recycling deconstructed materials, reducing our carbon footprint in the construction industry, and more.

The article presents Carbon Wise’s life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a net-zero energy home retrofit, focusing on the environmental benefits and reduced embodied carbon compared to a new build.

The study emphasizes the significant reduction in embodied emissions through material reuse and the selection of low-carbon building materials. It illustrates the potential for deep energy retrofits to offer substantial environmental benefits over new constructions, emphasizing the critical role of considering both operational and embodied emissions.

Elisabeth talks about the expiry of the Canada Greener Homes Grant, what it means for our industry and why homeowners should still care about energy upgrades for their homes.

She also mentions the Phoenix project, a new Step 5, Zero Carbon Step Code home being rebuilt in Abbotsford.

Time stamp 16h36.

Elisabeth talks about the end of the Greener Homes Grant and the consequences for homeowners and the industry.

Time stamp 2:13.