A global report is calling for tougher building codes in the bid to cut energy use in line with global targets.
Governments throughout the world should introduce subsidies and price signals to incentivize energy-efficient investments, the four-year global study also claims.
The building sector needs to take immediate action if the global climate change target of cutting energy usage by 60 per cent by 2050 is to be reached, the new modeling by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) shows.
The WBCSD’s $31 million Efficiency in Buildings (EEB) research project, which claims to be the most rigorous study ever conducted on the subject, also calls on governments to encourage integrated design approaches and innovation, develop new energy-saving technologies, create workforce capacity for energy saving and mobilize for an energy-aware culture.
The project took a bottom-up, market driven approach to understanding the barriers to lower energy use. Energy use by building type was analyzed for millions of existing and new buildings and projected out to 2050.
“Unless there is immediate action, thousands of new buildings will be built without any concern for energy efficiency, and millions of existing, inefficient buildings using more energy than necessary will be standing in 2050. Acting now means reducing their energy consumption and making real progress in controlling climate change,” said Björn Stigson, president of the WBCSD.
The market alone will not be able to make the necessary changes, Stigson said. “Most building owners and occupants don't know enough and don't care enough about energy consumption, and inertia is reinforced by assumptions that costs are too high and savings too low. That's why we are calling for a major, coordinated and global effort. If we can create that, we will cut greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate economic growth at the same time,” he said.
