Stew Young, Mayor of Langford
LANGFORD – Want to build in Langford? Be prepared to use concrete designed to reduce carbon emissions.
Starting June 1, 2022, for any projects that use more than 50 cubic metres of concrete must use either post-industrial carbon dioxide mineralization technologies or something equivalent that means lower embodied CO2 in the concrete. Langford city council introduced this policy in November.
Mayor Stew Young notes that Langford is encouraging taller downtown residential towers, in the 20-25 storey range. The $300,00-$500,000 price points on such condos should be attractive to first-time buyers.
The City of Langford released information that states embodied carbon emissions, which result from construction activities and manufacturing building materials, are what make up all greenhouse gas emissions released before a new building is used. With cement, the main ingredient in concrete, being responsible for approximately seven percent of carbon emissions in the world, it is hoped that new technology will help reduce emissions to have less impact on the environment.
Young explains that CO2 becomes permanently embedded into concrete during the mixing process, increasing strength in compression, while at the same time allowing for a reduction of carbon-intensive cement through new technological advancements.
