Let's talk about money: Retrofit needs to be profitable

Developers face numerous uphill challenges when faced with retrofit. In order to create the conditions that encourage the reuse of buildings, rather than demolish and build new, it needs to be simpler and more profitable. The reuse of existing buildings has the potential to stimulate economic growth, meet our housing targets, create jobs, improve public health, reduce waste, all whilst working towards a net zero property industry.

There are currently numerous disincentives to retrofit such as VAT, lack of regulation of embodied carbon and/or tax on carbon emissions through. What mechanisms should be employed to remove these obstacles, and whose job is it to do so? How can we have a profitable net zero property industry?

Chairperson Richard Nelson, Founder & Managing Director - ABYSS Global Speakers Leanne Tritton, Chair - The London Society Becci Taylor, Director - ARUP Will Hurst, Managing Editor - Architects Journal Ben Cross, Co-Founder - MORE