The greenest buildings are the ones we don’t knock down

There is a misconception that new buildings are more green than existing buildings. The carbon emissions and waste caused by a new-build construction is rightly coming under increasing scrutiny from policy makers.

We believe the answer to decarbonisation and tackling climate change is the retention and upgrading of existing buildings and running all buildings on renewable energy, rather than fossil fuels.

The UK loses more than 50,000 buildings a year through demolition and 62% of the UK’s waste is from construction (138 million tonnes). Further, Just three materials - concrete, steel, and aluminium — are responsible for 23% of total global carbon emissions.

Our analysis shows that new-builds emit +247% more carbon than refurbished buildings over a 10-year lease and 40% more carbon over a 60-year lifecycle.

At Kinrise, we take time to provide a leading voice into the conversation of retrofit vs new build. We believe the characterful buildings we restore don’t just create unique places for companies to grow, but provide a more environmentally sustainable route for cities and their economies to grow.