Indlela Umnotho Oyindilinga Ongalwa Ngayo Nokulahlekelwa Kwezinto Ezinhlobonhlobo

We have already seen some decent ambition around nature at the start of COP when countries have committed to halt deforestation by 2030. Although not binding, a step in the right direction. Today’s nature day is too proving promising, with isifungo samazwe angu-45 sokushintsha izinhlelo zawo zezolimo nokudla through policy and innovation to protect and preserve nature. Again, this is a step in the right direction but these pledges still aren’t going far enough. 

We cannot solve the climate crisis without also addressing izinto eziphilayo loss and land degradation. Our biodiversity and natural assets work as carbon sinks on a large scale and are the most effective way of capturing and storing carbon we have. But not only is our biodiversity a crucial element in our fight against climate change – it is also under massive threat. Biodiversity is declining rapidly, and the latest figures from the UK suggest 47% our biodiversity has been lost in the last 50 years. Some already speak of a sixth mass extinction.  

But what threatens our forests and ecosystems? According to UNEP, 90% of it comes down to the extraction and processing of okumbiwayo kwendalo – ngokwakhiwa ukudlala indima enkulu. Ukuze sibe yingxenye yesixazululo, sinethuluzi lokubhekana nalokhu. 

Uma kukhulunywa ngokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu, indlela icacile - sidinga ukukhulisa umnotho wethu, kanye nezinhlaka ezifana nalezi net zero help us understand the issue. But that alone won’t solve the destruction of our natural world. Greenhouse gas emissions are just one issue we are facing and if we cut our emissions to zero there are many more crises to come: deforestation and biodiversity loss are among the most pressing ones.  

Moving to a Circular Economy can be an answer to these issues. While Circular Economy is able to effectively ukunciphisa ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni, inamandla okwenza okuningi kakhulu - ukusisusa emikhubeni elimazayo yokukhipha umnotho wethu wamanje oqondile siye kumodeli yokuvuselela egcina zonke izinto ezisetshenziswayo ku-loop futhi edambisa ingcindezi ezinhlelweni zethu zemvelo.  

So what needs to happen? Similar to the developments we have around whole life carbon, we need to have a look at the implications on biodiversity and nature over the entire lifecycle of products, processes and materials. In order to do that, we need clarity and transparency across the entire supply chain which will then allow us to steer our economy through the transition phase to full circularity, and therefore avoid the most harmful materials and processes.  

Secondly, we need to keep materials in loop for as long as possible to avoid the need for virgin materials. That means prioritising refurbishment over new built, trying to procure reused materials where possible and designing for deconstructability to allow for the future use of the building’s components. Putting the necessary infrastructure in place to enable that will be a crucial task for the industry.   

Futhi ekugcineni, yenza kabusha. Izindawo ezonakaliswe ezenzweni zethu zezomnotho zingaphinda zigcwaliswe impilo uma sesisuse ingcindezi emhlabeni wemvelo.  This includes the nature and biodiversity that was once within our cities through Nature Based Solutions. 

Lapha kuhlelo lwe-UKGBC lwe-Circular Economy sibheke ukusekela imboni ukuthi iguqukele ku-circularity ngezindlela eziningi. Uma ufuna ukwazi okwengeziwe ngalokho esikwenzayo, bheka yethu Page noma i-imeyili [i-imeyili ivikelwe]

Okuthunyelwe Indlela Umnotho Oyindilinga Ongalwa Ngayo Nokulahlekelwa Kwezinto Ezinhlobonhlobo ivele kuqala UKGBC – UK Green Building Council.