Pledges by governments and multinational corporations to make buildings net-zero carbon are critical to carbon reduction goals. And, commitments have been adding up in recent years.
The World Green Building Council (WGBC) has gained notable adherents to its Advancing Net Zero buildings initiative. This project aims to have every building produce net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
In fact, some 62 businesses, 28 cities, and six states have signed on to be WGBC’s leaders in this initiative by committing to make all their buildings net-zero carbon-emitting by 2030 or sooner. California, with 16 million buildings, has signed onto the commitment, along with businesses such as design firm Atelier Ten, healthcare real estate investment trust Assura, and retail center developer Wereldhave.
There are 1 billion buildings in the world, and the total global building footprint is expected to double by 2060. It’s hard to know how many buildings are operating today at net-zero because of the difficulty in tracking the amount of renewable energy supplied by the grid. WGBC is working on this problem.
When companies such as Salesforce commit to constructing all new buildings to net-zero specifications, including a new tower in Dublin, they accelerate the effort. WGBC will allow any credible third party, such as LEED, to do the certification.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2017
New LEED for Cities, LEED for Communities pilot certifications unveiled
Requires tracking of performance data and progress toward goals.
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2017
China claims top ranking outside of U.S. for total LEED-certified space
Canada, India, Brazil, and Korea round out top 5.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2017
OSHA prompts more proactive approach to construction site safety
Remote operated camera systems are being used to mitigate risk in real time.
Codes and Standards | Jan 5, 2017
2018 building energy code upholds efficiency gains
Efforts to scale back efficiency requirements largely defeated.
Codes and Standards | Jan 4, 2017
Low-income housing doesn’t lower neighborhood housing values
A Trulia study contradicts longstanding fears.
Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2017
Intelligent transportation systems have implications for designers, construction firms
Sensors and Internet of Things devices will have to be embedded in infrastructure.
Codes and Standards | Dec 15, 2016
OSHA releases safety recommendation guide for construction industry
It is said to be most helpful to small and mid-sized contractors.
Codes and Standards | Dec 14, 2016
Cities must invest $375 billion to avoid catastrophic global climate change
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group advocates low carbon infrastructure.
Codes and Standards | Dec 14, 2016
Resilient construction techniques pay for themselves over lifetime of buildings
Spending $340,000 for resiliency would pay for itself over the lifetime of a $10 million structure.
Codes and Standards | Dec 12, 2016
Dept. of Energy launches program to advance zero energy school design
Six school districts and two states are among the first to mainstream zero energy schools.
