Decarbonizing the building sector will require a massive, strategic, and coordinated effort by the public and private sectors, according to a report by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
“Human-induced climate change is a threat to human life and society, and steps must be taken across economic sectors to reduce the adverse impact of carbon and other harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” said AC Powell, president and CEO of NIBS. “Progress has been made, but there is still far to go.”
The report’s recommendations include:
- The federal government should prioritize private sector input in federal actions around decarbonization.
- The administration and federal agencies should ensure all proposed actions and mandates are working from a common definition of decarbonization, with commonly shared, publicly available data.
- Federal agencies should provide technical assistance and funding to support development of a generally accepted lifecycle approach to evaluating whole-building environmental impacts. This should include balancing operational GHG emissions and embodied carbon considerations.
- Federal, state, and local governments and the building industry should increase investment in understanding and overcoming the challenges to decarbonization posed by the existing building stock.
Related Stories
| Sep 7, 2012
The keys to success in the K-12 school market
When educators and school administrators describe their vision for new K-12 school buildings as ‘21st-century learning spaces,’ they’re not exaggerating. Many new schools are truly different in concept from their counterparts of only a few years ago.
| Aug 2, 2012
BD+C University: PVC Single-Plies as Sustainable Roofing Systems
You can earn 1.0 AIA credit + HSW + SD by taking this course.
| Jul 2, 2012
Plumosa School of the Arts earns LEED Gold
Education project dedicated to teaching sustainability in the classroom.
| Jun 22, 2012
USGBC Joins Six Major Organizations at Rio+20 to Launch the Global Initiative on Urban Resilience
Global initiative is designed to spur building and infrastructure development, create new investment opportunities, and foster community action around the world
| Jun 19, 2012
Armstrong Issues Environmental Product Declarations On Nine Popular Ceiling and Steel Suspension Systems
Transparent new documentation allows end users to make more informed decisions when selecting ceilings for projects
| Jun 18, 2012
Tremco Commercial Sealants & Waterproofing Unveils Sustainable Building Solutions Test Facility
State-of-the-art facility provides a controlled testing environment of air and moisture infiltration/exfiltration in air barrier systems and building enclosures
| Jun 15, 2012
InPro’s bio-content becomes Cradle-to-Cradle CertifiedCM Silver
Two main components of G2 Blend formula now C2C Certified Silver.
| Jun 13, 2012
Free webinar on Designing and Building Green Schools scheduled for June 20
USGBC Center for Green Schools and other experts to present practical tips.
| Jun 13, 2012
Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute to hold energy asset conference for property owners, senior real estate managers
Top-level real estate professionals have been ignored as the industry has pushed to get sustainability measures in place.
| Jun 8, 2012
Living Building Challenge wins the 2012 Buckminster Fuller Challenge
The Living Building Challenge was chosen from a pool of 122 of entries from around the world.