AASMIC in Conjunction with the Master Builders Association of Tasmania (MBA) will hold an Interesting Presentation / Discussion Forum on Monday Evening 18th Feb 2008 in Hobart

The session will include a talk by Mr Libe Chacos ( Sunrise Homes ) about why his company build to the 5 star standard and include a tour of a recently completed Hobart 5 Star building prior to the presentation. There will be a talk on the benefits of insulation and thermal capacity in sustainable buildings and an open forum session on Carbon Trading

Please feel free to register for this evening by ringing the Master Builders Association Tasmania on (03) 62343810 or by e-mailing to secretary@ aasmic.org.

Following a successful workshop held in Melbourne in Early December and attended by interested members working within the Building & Construction Industry the following press release is issued.

Government Leadership Required to Introduce Carbon Trading into Building and Construction in Australia

In Australia carbon emissions trading is likely to be introduced by 2010 or 2011. So far few details have been released as to how that trading will be conducted, what emissions targets will be set or which sectors may get favourable treatment.

There is no doubt that the benefits of the early introduction of carbon trading in building and construction could be huge if properly implemented however there are many uncertainties and difficulties to be addressed.

The reason why making sure carbon trading is implemented in the building and construction arena quickly is that there is much to easily be gained at relatively low cost through materials innovation and substitution as well as good design.

According to the research group research and markets “Buildings make a large contribution to the energy consumption of a country. It is estimated that, of the total energy generated in the industrialized world, 40% of it is used in the construction and operation of residential, public, and commercial buildings. Approximately one third of primary energy world-wide is consumed in non-industrial buildings such as dwellings, offices, hospitals, and schools where it is utilized for space heating and cooling, lighting and the operation of appliances. In the European Union (EU), energy consumption for buildings-related services accounts for between 33% and 40% of total EU energy consumption. Energy used for heating, lighting and powering buildings can account for up to half of a country’s total energy consumption. In an industrial economy domestic water heating can account for over 5% of total energy use, domestic space heating up to 20% and appliances and lighting up to 30%. In terms of the total energy end use, consumption of energy in the building sector is comparable to that used in the entire transport sector.”

There are however a number of technical difficulties that only direction from government will quickly resolve.

We point out the following:

Of major concern is the issue of double counting as Kyoto specifically does not allow it.

The industry has a complex supply chain in which double counting could occur. To overcome this it has been suggested by Blair Freeman, technical manager for Fletcher Insulation in Victoria at the AASMIC workshop, that a system similar to GST could be implemented with carbon assessments cancelling each other out on the way up or down the supply and waste chains to the points of greatest carbon concentration. This procedure should be investigated as it may ensure that the design team, engineers, builder and end user can all benefit from future carbon credits attributed to their input into sustainable design and construction.

To add further to the difficulties of implementing a fair system there is more than one source of potential credits in building and construction. Not only do materials have embodied energies and emissions but the way they are used by designers contributes to reductions in net emissions. Careful analysis is also required of the two contributions to make sure there is no double counting.

Are reductions that emanate from good design a double count because they represent a use of a material that itself has embodied energies and emissions? In the view of the meeting the inclusion of both types of credit is essential and does not result in double counting. We suspect however that many will not understand that design is a contribution of intellectual property and not therefore a material and thus distinctly different.

Lifetime energy reductions through good design is very important however what materials are chosen by designers have a maintenance consequence that must not be forgotten. Materials a on the other hand are very important as not only do they have process and chemical releases associated with them, they contribute to what design can achieve.

What is important is that a system is introduced and introduced quickly because of the potentially huge multiplier effects and shear size of the industry and the easily obtainable emissions reductions and sequestration that is possible. The system will not be necessarily technically correct in all scenarios but difficulties can be resolved later. To avoid a morass of expensive gobbledygook being evolved by consultants it is essential that government do not stand back and let the confusion continue. Government should set the rules and they should be simple enough for all in the industry to take advantage of to push the agenda for greener, better materials and structures that they make.

John Harrison

Chairman