By Cristina Gamboa, CEO, WorldGBC
What steps do we need to be taking today for a better future? The pathway for progress has been the driving theme for World Green Building Week (WGBW) 2024. With more than 100 events taking place worldwide, showcasing solutions from our global network of GBCs and partners.
And as we think about progression, for me, WGBW always signals the start of a crucial few months for the built environment on the international sustainability agenda. We move from here into Climate Week NYC and continue to drive momentum into this year’s UN Climate Change Summit (COP29) in Azerbaijan.
So what is the pathway? This year for WGBW we are calling on the built environment community to follow three simple steps for a better future: Reduce. Electrify. Adapt.
Firstly, by increasing our energy efficiency and minimising what we use in the built environment, our sector can dramatically decrease global energy and resource demands. For example, at the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), our Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment has 176 signatories, including 141 businesses and organisations, 29 cities and 6 states and regions. These signatories are taking accelerated action to reduce emissions from their buildings and portfolios, with energy efficiency being a key action. The businesses and organisations cumulatively recorded an overall 12% reduction in emission intensity in 2022 when compared with the previous reporting period.
What we can’t decrease through more sustainable approaches to building design and operations we need to decarbonise. This means we need to accelerate the electrification of buildings and increase renewable energy to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. WorldGBC and our network are committed to the total decarbonisation of the built environment, and for the majority of buildings to achieve this requires electrification.
Lastly, this WGBW we are urging the industry to act decisively, to anticipate the future and embed sustainable best practice principles now, adapting our buildings to withstand the impacts of climate change. To support this final step, our Zero Carbon and Climate Resilience Readiness Framework provides guidance on achieving energy efficient and resilient buildings, and gives a foundation for the national roadmaps that are being created by Green Building Councils (GBCs) all around the world.
Within its Net Zero by 2050 Scenario, the International Energy Agency (IEA) states that energy efficiency measures and electrification are the two main drivers of the decarbonisation of the buildings sector. Efficiency is crucial for reducing the overall energy demand from the built environment, and decreasing the burden to decarbonise our energy supply and respective grids.
The good news is that this transformation relies primarily on technologies already available on the market, including heat pumps, energy‐efficient appliances, and material-efficient building design.
In 2021 only 26% of countries had mandatory energy performance codes for all buildings, showing the urgency to continue advocating for progressive policy change in our sector. However, there are signs of progress emerging, with 158 countries now mentioning buildings in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or climate action plans that countries update every five years within the Paris Agreement.
Within Europe the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), has seen building decarbonisation brought to the forefront as an important component of achieving near and long-term climate targets, and contributes towards achieving a decarbonised, zero-emission building stock by 2050. WorldGBC and GBCs from the Europe Regional Network have been advocating for these updated revisions to the EPBD within our #BuildingLife project, and we continue to support the member states with next steps to ensure these measures are implemented successfully.
At our recent WorldGBC Global Solutions Forum 2024, the focus was on financing the sustainable transition of the built environment. The cost of going electric will require investment, in addition to expanding the capacity of our grids to meet the growing demand, and we need to create incentives for all users to make this transition happen.
Universal access to electricity is also a critical component to ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic growth. However, many households still lack access. So there is a requirement on governments and the private sector to improve electricity planning and enable all people to have adequate on-grid and off-grid solutions.
And a large part of what remains is behavioural change – at all levels from our personal activity within our homes through to policymakers at a governmental level.
And electrifying buildings is not only important for achieving the global energy transition, but phasing out the combustion of fossil fuels in people’s homes is also a health priority, with gas stoves recognised to heighten the risk of several respiratory conditions, including asthma, and contributing to cognitive dysfunction.
In June this year we added our support to the Global Cooksafe Coalition’s (GCC) celebration of leaders of electrification around the world. GCC’s work to electrify kitchens is a key action that contributes to wider electrification efforts in the built environment.
As we come to the end of this year’s World Green Building Week, and turn our attention to Climate Week NYC, COP29 and beyond, we know there is still work to be done.
But as our network of GBCs and private sector partners has shown us over the course of this week, so many solutions are already happening, and our network is out there leading the way. So join us in Building the Transition to reduce our consumption, electrify our buildings, and adapt for our changing future.
The path to sustainability can seem complex, but what matters is that we are all taking steps in the right direction. Together we can overcome the challenges posed by climate change, and if you are looking for support and guidance on your sustainability journey, please reach out and contact your local GBC.
