Yep, very likely coming from the marketing team and I agree building reuse is the clear winner with very few exceptions. So with that in mind, firms highlighting their efforts should be transparent about what could have been done better (use an existing building, improved LCI data sets and quantity takeoffs, novel biogenic carbon accounting methods, more efficient use of material, and the other items listed by Bernstein in the article). To me, that’s a lot more helpful because it avoids complacency and helps readers understand this isn’t the end of the road; we have a long way to go.
We should save this kind of excitement for when your straw bale house with locally sourced clay becomes a reality, because that’s definitely something to celebrate!