Architects and planners must decarbonize the construction industry, and we have less than ten years to make real progress to stay within 1.5 degrees of global warming. Buildings are responsible for almost 40% of global annual carbon dioxide emissions, so how can we establish goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to reach net-zero levels by 2050 or sooner"
I had the opportunity to chat with Melina Melina Scholefield from the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) in the second episode of the SvN Speaks series.?Melina is the Executive Director at the Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) and the former manager of the Sustainability Group and Green Infrastructure for the City of Vancouver. She is at the forefront of advancing many of Vancouver’s climate protection programs, including green infrastructure and green building programs.   The City of Vancouver has already achieved significant progress toward low-carbon construction. The City is on track to reducing overall carbon pollution by 50% by 2030, with zero emissions by 2040. This past May, Vancouver City Council passed new legislation for embodied emissions and building retrofits. While achievements like these are laudable, what is the political and economic climate to make these goals a reality" 
According to Scholefield, Vancouver has implemented key climate-positive policies for many years. Since 2007, the City has seen a net reduction of 15% in overall GHG emissions, des...