The report from environmental researchers at the Centre for Public Impact and TransCap Initiative found that Dublin's climate action targets will be not be met if commercial buildings and houses are being demolished rather than being reused.
The report found that 16,000 homes could be made from vacant buildings in Dublin. Which would be a huge contribution to the council's target of creating 40,000 new homes between 2022 and 2028. The report found that in order to reuse the empty buildings €2.86 billion is required in order to get the properties back in use.
The Funding Architecture for the Circular Economy report acknowledges that it would be difficult to acheive housing targets aswell as climate action targets. “Our research identified the reuse of existing buildings as the most immediately viable, under-resourced, and impactful route to advance circularity and progress towards [the council’s] climate mitigation objectives through reducing embodied carbon. Fragmented funding streams, restrictive eligibility criteria, and limited internal capacity within [the council] collectively inhibit project viability and delivery at scale," the report stated.
Council chief executive Richard Shakespeare said the report presents “a credible route for Dublin City Council to lead on circular, low‑carbon urban regeneration – demonstrating how housing delivery, climate action and place‑making can reinforce one another when approached systemically."
“As we move forward regenerating the city centre, we will need to work together to ensure that the financial investment is there for not only the bricks and mortar but for the social and cultural assets that guarantee our shared pride in our city’s past, present and future," he continued.
