Decarbonizing the building sector will require a massive, strategic, and coordinated effort by the public and private sectors, according to a report by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
“Human-induced climate change is a threat to human life and society, and steps must be taken across economic sectors to reduce the adverse impact of carbon and other harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” said AC Powell, president and CEO of NIBS. “Progress has been made, but there is still far to go.”
The report’s recommendations include:
- The federal government should prioritize private sector input in federal actions around decarbonization.
- The administration and federal agencies should ensure all proposed actions and mandates are working from a common definition of decarbonization, with commonly shared, publicly available data.
- Federal agencies should provide technical assistance and funding to support development of a generally accepted lifecycle approach to evaluating whole-building environmental impacts. This should include balancing operational GHG emissions and embodied carbon considerations.
- Federal, state, and local governments and the building industry should increase investment in understanding and overcoming the challenges to decarbonization posed by the existing building stock.
Related Stories
Game Changers | Jan 18, 2017
Turning friction into power
Research on piezoelectricity moves closer to practical applications for infrastructure and buildings.
Game Changers | Jan 13, 2017
Building from the neighborhood up
EcoDistricts is helping cities visualize a bigger picture that connects their communities.
Sustainability | Dec 14, 2016
A floating, mobile gym powered by human energy envisioned for the Seine River
Energy created by those exercising within would power the gym down the Seine.
High-rise Construction | Dec 2, 2016
Agora Garden, a twisting, plant-filled tower in Taipei, will absorb 130 tons of carbon dioxide annually once completed
The building sits just a few blocks from the LEED-Platinum certified Taipei 101, the world’s eighth tallest building.
Hotel Facilities | Nov 15, 2016
Mountain Forest Hotel looks to restore the natural landscape while offering visitors 250 luxury rooms
The hotel looks to create a symbiosis between man, nature, and architecture.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Nov 14, 2016
Soccer stadium from Zaha Hadid Architects will be constructed almost entirely of wood
The architects say the project will be the greenest soccer stadium in the world once completed.
Building Technology | Nov 10, 2016
New system from MIT may help buildings monitor stress and damage over time
The computational model is being tested on MIT’s Green Building.
Resiliency | Nov 3, 2016
Future-proofing urban waterfronts
CallisonRTKL’s Nathan Cherry discusses hurricanes, the San Francisco waterfront, and how we can future-proof our urban waterfronts.
Sustainability | Nov 3, 2016
A development in Denmark looks to use agricultural waste to help power its buildings
The proposal is a mixture of agriculture and urban design.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 25, 2016
The Beacon will become the most sustainable residential tower in the world
Lumiere Developments says the building will generate enough energy to offer residents ‘Free Energy For Life.’
