Sustainability in construction - Essay Example

For example, the UK national Grid has planned to cut domestic emissions by 45% by 2029, while the European Union countries are in agreement to harness more than 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020; U.K’s target is15% (Huang & Infield, 2002). In addition, Scotland and UK have plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050, and a proposed reduction of about 42% by 2020 to curb the climate change threat (Tecs Home Energy Survey Report, 2010). Therefore, as the two articles indicate, energy usage in both domestic and in industrial applications has led to an environmental threat that has been caused by increasing global warming, as a result of carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

Jones in the article Reducing emissions through energy efficiency correctly articulates that energy usage in buildings contribute to almost half of carbon emissions in U.K. This is in line with the figures indicated by Tecs Home Energy Survey Report (2010). As Jones illustrates, the UK government has come up with different measures in trying to reduce carbon emissions in line with 2010 proposed emission reductions. . tial stages of industrialization results from the increasing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere; this has resulted in the continued climate change, with temperatures in the U.

K expected to increase by between 2 to 3.5 degrees centigrade this century. Therefore the intergovernmental panel set up to address this issue according to this report suggested building codes and designs that would eliminate any need for mechanical cooling in homes, which has been attributed to considerable portion of global warming gases in the atmosphere. The report suggests a new perspective in building and construction on how buildings might have special features, which might be responsive to climate changes, and which anticipate and are in accordance with future climate trends.

Likewise, Jones in Reducing emissions through energy efficiency concurs with this argument and asserts that energy demand has to be maintained to a minimum by adopting more responsible designs, and adopting the use of renewable energy sources. This would include minimizing uncontrolled air infiltration through effective designs, and adopting natural ventilations. Generally according to Jones, this may be only achieved through an integrated design team to ensure harmonization, and good interactions between the various disciplines involved in building designs.

This is an effective approach in reducing domestic energy usage, noting that more than 46 % of energy usage in U.K is through air conditioning, heating, cooling, and other general usage that may be controlled through proper designs (TECs Home Energy Survey Report, 2010). However, the article thermal comfort in a 21st century Climate puts much emphasizes on the need to control energy through responsible use of energy by tenants. The article suggests the use