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In 2015, world leaders met in Paris to discuss the goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by the second half of this century. Cement production accounts for 6% of the world’s carbon emissions and steel production accounts for another 8%. If you factor in the lighting, heating, and cooling of a building, then the homes and offices are creating a huge environmental problem.
This has led governments to urge builders to promote a “zero carbon” standard, using recycled steel and prefabricating it offsite. The use of more wood is encouraged, limiting the idea of the concrete jungle, but a jungle of buildings using wood from mature trees.