Footage of buildings being flattened in a noisy demolition may be a popular feature of local TV news reports, but architects say such structures should be protected - to fight climate change.
They say property owners should be incentivised to upgrade draughty buildings, not just knock them down.
That is because so much carbon is emitted by creating the steel, cement and bricks for new buildings.
The Architects' Journal has now given evidence to the Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) on the difference between operational emissions from heating and cooling a building and embodied emissions from creating construction materials.
It wants the government to change the VAT rules which can make it cheaper to rebuild than to refurbish a standing building.
Will Hurst said: “This staggering fact has only been properly grasped in the construction industry relatively recently. We’ve got to stop mindlessly pulling buildings down.”
He continued: “It’s crazy that the government actually incentivises practices that create more carbon emissions. Also, if you avoid demolition you make carbon savings right now, which we really need.
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