Public policies, technological innovation, informed customer choices, and smart business decisions are key to a sharp reduction in the global building sector’s energy consumption by mid-century
Source: United Technologies Corp., Hartford, Conn.
Public policies, technological innovation, informed customer choices, and smart business decisions can spur a sharp reduction in the global building sector’s energy consumption by mid-century. Implementation steps toward a 60 percent cut through 2050 are outlined in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s “Transforming the Market: Energy Efficiency in Buildings.” The report is being released April 27 at the Alliance to Save Energy EE Global Forum and Exposition in Paris, with concurrent presentation to officials in Washington, D.C. and Beijing.
Billed by the Council as the most rigorous study ever on buildingsÌ energy consumption, the report was co-chaired by Paris-based Lafarge Group and United Technologies, parent of Carrier Corp. and Otis Elevator. “Buildings account for a surprisingly high 40 percent of global energy consumption and the resulting carbon footprint, significantly exceeding those of all transportation combined,” said UTC Chairman George David. “Differing markedly from other sectors and carbon abatement mechanisms, energy efficiency technologies and products for buildings exist today. We have the capacity to reduce the carbon footprints of buildings by half over a decade and with reasonable financial returns.
Energy Efficiency in Buildings authors take a data-intense and market-driven approach to understanding barriers to reduced energy use. Researchers analyzed consumption by building type for hundreds of millions of existing and new buildings projected out to 2050, accounting for differences such as climate, fuel type, and envelope. An extensive simulation model showed market responses to various combinations of financial, technical, behavioral, and policy options, identifying the optimum mix to achieve transformation for each market studied. Full details of the report’s “transformation roadmap” are posted in English at the Council website, www.wbcsd.org.