Annual Review of Environment and Resources has published a milestone peer-reviewed paper entitled Advances Toward a Net-Zero Global Building Sector.
A new international study was published that sheds light on advances in the global building sector and what’s required to reduce emissions in buildings to achieve our climate targets. It finds that the technologies and skills needed to build net or nearly zero energy buildings already exist today and at costs similar to conventional buildings around the world for most building types and climates. The study is co-authored by several IPCC Assessment Report authors including Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Luisa F. Cabeza, and Dr. Radhika Khosla.
With energy efficient buildings at the forefront of the federal government’s plan for a climate-minded economic recovery, this report offers a path forward for Canada to achieve the outcomes in buildings needed to both reach our climate targets and support our economic recovery. It’s a timely reminder that energy efficiency measures must target ambitious emissions reductions and outcomes to avoid half measures that lock in building emissions for decades to come.
This study also makes clear that regulations and policy play a critical role. With many challenges facing Canada’s national building code development process and many opportunities for improvement, government leadership in this area is essential to Canada’s ability to effectively reduce emissions in buildings.
