flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

World Green Building Council sets goal of 100% net-zero buildings by 2050

Green Specifications

World Green Building Council sets goal of 100% net-zero buildings by 2050

All new buildings and major renovations to be net-zero by 2030.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | July 8, 2016
World Green Building Council sets goal of 100% net-zero buildings by 2050

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's new green facility. Photo: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center/Creative Commons.

The World Green Building Council recently unveiled its "Advancing Net Zero" initiative that aims for 100% net-zero buildings by 2050.

The Council’s interim goal is to have all new buildings and major renovations designed for net-zero energy use by 2030. The organization will organize Green Building Councils around the world to develop net-zero certification programs for existing and new buildings.

Eight countries -- Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden -- will be the pilot sites for the project. Building sectors in these countries are expected to have among the biggest growth around the world in the next few decades.

U.S.-based non-profit Architecture 2030 will provide expertise for the initiative.

Related Stories

Sustainability | Jan 23, 2023

How regenerative design is driving AEC industry innovation

HOK's Sean Quinn and Microsoft's JoAnn Garbin discuss the next step of sustainability: regenerative design.

Green | Jan 17, 2023

Top 10 U.S. states for green building in 2022

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its annual ranking of U.S. states leading the way on green building, with Massachusetts topping the list. The USGBC ranking is based on LEED-certified gross square footage per capita over the past year. 

Sustainability | Jan 9, 2023

Innovative solutions emerge to address New York’s new greenhouse gas law

New York City’s Local Law 97, an ambitious climate plan that includes fines for owners of large buildings that don’t significantly reduce carbon emissions, has spawned innovations to address the law’s provisions.

75 Top Building Products | Nov 30, 2022

75 top building products for 2022

Each year, the Building Design+Construction editorial team evaluates the vast universe of new and updated products, materials, and systems for the U.S. building design and construction market. The best-of-the-best products make up our annual 75 Top Products report. 

K-12 Schools | Nov 30, 2022

School districts are prioritizing federal funds for air filtration, HVAC upgrades

U.S. school districts are widely planning to use funds from last year’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) to upgrade or improve air filtration and heating/cooling systems, according to a report from the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council. The report, “School Facilities Funding in the Pandemic,” says air filtration and HVAC upgrades are the top facility improvement choice for the 5,004 school districts included in the analysis.

Legislation | Nov 23, 2022

7 ways the Inflation Reduction Act will impact the building sector

HOK’s Anica Landreneau and Stephanie Miller and Smart Surfaces Coalition’s Greg Kats reveal multiple ways the IRA will benefit the built environment. 

Green | Nov 13, 2022

USGBC updates LEED v4 to better address greenhouse gas emissions and climate change

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will update the LEED v4 green building certification program to “more directly address greenhouse gas emissions and climate change” according to a USGBC news release.

University Buildings | Nov 13, 2022

University of Washington opens mass timber business school building

Founders Hall at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, the first mass timber building at Seattle campus of Univ. of Washington, was recently completed. The 84,800-sf building creates a new hub for community, entrepreneurship, and innovation, according the project’s design architect LMN Architects.

Green | Nov 8, 2022

USGBC and IWBI will develop dual certification pathways for LEED and WELL

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) will expand their strategic partnership to develop dual certification pathways for LEED and WELL.

Green | Oct 5, 2022

In California, a public power provider’s new headquarters serves as a test case for an innovative microgrid and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Sonoma Clean Power (SCP), the public power provider for California’s Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, recently unveiled its new all-electric headquarters.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Mass Timber

Mass timber a big part of Western Washington University’s net-zero ambitions

Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles from Seattle, is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science. As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021