Decarbonizing Cities - Pt 1: Policy, Science, and the Role of Buildings in the Energy Transition
Climate change is picking up pace. More extreme weather events have been seen over the past decade and environmental scientists tell us things are only getting started. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapour and synthetic fluorinated gasses – collectively known as greenhouse gasses – are trapping solar radiation and causing our earth to heat up. After decades of warnings from climate scientists, global governments are now taking action.
A wide range of policies are being adopted in a bid to decarbonize buildings and reduce the rising temperature of our planet. Despite the ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, set by our governments, scientists say we need to do more, push harder and make greater reductions, faster.
Our world is getting warmer (Photo by Jasper Wilde on Unsplash)
A commitment to change
In Australia, the newly elected government has lodged an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). They’ve committed to reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels. They aim to reach this target by 2030. Furthermore, Australia has committed to net zero emissions by 2050 – the same commitment that has been made by multiple nations around the globe.
If our governments fail to meet this challenge, greater responsibility will be pushed to the private sector. Businesses will be at the forefront of the tackle to overcome the climate challenges in our immediate future. Market forces are already pushing developers, building owners, investors and occupiers toward more environmentally sensitive decisions. Wise investors and businesses are not waiting for regulations to spur them to climate action.
Buildings can influence our transition to a greener world
Building and construction contribute 39% of global carbon emissions and building operations. 28% of these emissions come from heating, cooling, lighting and using buildings. The other 11% comes from the materials and processes used to raise our buildings from the ground. In cities, these percentages are, of course, higher. Buildings here are responsible for 60% of a city’s emissions.
Decarbonizing our built environment is a major step in achieving a net zero global society. New yet-to-be-built buildings must have their design, construction, and operation revised to be part of a sustainable net zero carbon (NZC) economy. Furthermore, existing buildings will need to be retrofitted to enable them to also become NZC properties.
The retrofitting challenge is far greater than the challenge of ensuring new construction is carried out sustainably and that buildings are NZC structures. Approximately 80% of the world’s buildings that will be standing in 2050 have already been built. In order to meet this challenge, the real estate industry and governments will need to shift attention toward the vast retrofitting challenge. It is estimated that in order to reach the 2050 NZC targets, more than 3% of all buildings will need to be successfully retrofitted each year.
A consideration of embodied carbon and circularity in construction should be considered by forward-thinking developers. Whole lifecycle approaches to construction is crucial for a successful transition to NZC societies. Carbon-conscious construction, combined with circular building principles can moderate the impact of new development.
We’re all in this together
The property sector is under pressure to create a net zero built environment. Expectations of investors and occupiers are also high that our governments will play an increasingly active role in decarbonizing our futures.
City administrations need to develop a raft of incentives and penalties, frameworks and guidance for all stakeholders for a net zero future to become possible. Their role is pivotal in the transition to green local energy grids, greater biodiversity, climate resilience and adaption.
Local and national governments must collaborate to create joined-up responses to the challenges of these times and ensure the ambitious targets they have committed to are met.
Across the world, cities, regions and countries are tackling these challenges with a variety of methods to create the conditions needed to decarbonize buildings. As the pace of these initiatives, and the urgency of the situation intensifies, we will do well to learn from each other, share best practices and come together to support each other toward a more sustainable and resilient future.
The implications of the climate crisis run deep for the real estate sector and society at large in terms of energy use, efficiency, electrification and the use of renewables.