Sustainable Building's Role in Combating Climate Change

According to a new report presented to the annual general meeting of the United Nations Environment Program Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative (UNEP SBCI), which convened in Rabat, Morocco, from April 2nd to 4th 2007, sustainable building design can make a significant difference when it comes to fighting global warming. Titled Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges and Opportunities, the report targets the building sector, which it claims is responsible for up to 40 percent of global energy use.

The report says that more ambitious standards for new and existing buildings could reduce global energy consumption by 20% by the year 2010.  According to Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, “The savings that can be made right now are potentially huge and the costs to implement them relatively low if sufficient numbers of governments, industries, businesses and consumers act”.  He goes on to say, “By some conservative estimates, the building sector world-wide could deliver emission reductions of 1.8 billion tons of C02. A more aggressive energy efficiency policy might deliver over two billion tons or close to three times the amount scheduled to be reduced under the Kyoto Protocol.”

While sustainable, green design is often criticized as being too expensive to garner mass appeal or gain momentum in the developing world, the report points out that there are plenty of easy, low cost initiatives that could make immediate impacts.  For example, the International Energy Agency estimates that in 2010 over half of the Kyoto Protocol reductions in CO2 could be achieved simply by switching all the world’s incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs .   In addition, the report stresses the importance of appropriate government policies and financial incentives aimed at encouraging buy in from building sector stakeholders such as investors, architects, developers, contractors and owners. 

If you would like to know more, the full 87 page report can be freely downloaded from the United Nations Environment Program website. 

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