Why are Australian houses so cold, and how can we build 1.2m new ones without trashing the environment?

‘A typical detached home in Australia releases about 118 to 158 tonnes of embodied carbon to get built.’ Photograph: Roni Bintang/Getty Images

The federal government has set a target of building 1.2m new homes in Australia by 2029.

If we construct these homes the same way as we do today, their materials will contribute to millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, while our poorly performing existing homes will remain freezing in the winter. We need to change the way we design, build and retrofit housing to avoid a climate catastrophe.