The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has joined with CO2toEE coalition to endorse building owner participation in carbon cap-and-trade programs.
The aim is to make businesses and building owners eligible for reductions in carbon emissions resulting from their investments in energy efficiency. A cap-and-trade system limits the amount of pollution large corporations and utilities discharge.
Under such systems, utilities and corporations buy and sell rights that allow the release of greenhouse gases into the air. A company or utility that reduces its pollution would be financially rewarded under such programs.
“This change makes the carbon market more efficient by assigning the value of carbon reductions where it belongs — to the people who actually make them,” said Angela Brooks, FAIA, managing principal at Brooks + Scarpa, and 2018 chair of the Institute’s Committee on the Environment. “With the adoption of CO2toEE, the cap-and-trade market can be harnessed to reward energy efficiency investors with the value of the CO2 reductions they create.”
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Sep 7, 2021
Boston turns to developer fees to fund flood protection infrastructure
Assessments on commercial properties will help build seawall and other protective measures.
Codes and Standards | Sep 3, 2021
Low-cost methods can have substantial impact on reducing embodied carbon
Whole-building design, material substitution, and specification strategies can slash carbon by up to 46%.
Codes and Standards | Sep 2, 2021
Case for power resiliency in buildings grows with more disaster and outages
Essential businesses like data centers, hospitals are first adopters of new storage systems.
Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2021
UK industry group wants mandatory whole-life carbon assessments of buildings
Aims to address hidden emissions embedded in supply chains.
Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2021
Home electrification will require code upgrades
Residential electric panel capacity must be increased.
Codes and Standards | Aug 30, 2021
Facebook’s new $800 million Arizona data center to save big on water
Will restore more than 200 million gallons of water per year to river basins.
Codes and Standards | Aug 26, 2021
California may require solar on new high-rise residential and commercial buildings
State energy commission approves proposal; Could become law in 2023.
Codes and Standards | Aug 25, 2021
Study finds racism, discrimination common in construction industry
NIBS to share best practices with industry leaders to improve worker treatment.
Codes and Standards | Aug 24, 2021
White paper addresses insulated metal panel specifications for roofs and walls
Pertains to provisions of the National Building Code of Canada.
Codes and Standards | Aug 24, 2021
KTGY releases free resource to reduce carbon footprint in multifamily developments
Helps navigate Denver Green Code measures—a series of voluntary codes.