Buildings and Cities
By 2030 buildings will account for an estimated 12.6 Gt of energy-related emissions. The good news is that some 70 per cent of the urban infrastructure that will be needed to accommodate a fast-growing world is yet to be built.
By mandating that the cities and homes of tomorrow be fit for a low-carbon age – and by updating existing infrastructure – the world can reduce emissions by 5.9 Gt.
Actions are required at every level: government, private sector and the public.
- Retrofit public buildings
- Promote the installation of heat pumps, solar cells and heat storage technology
- Incentivize the installation of central cooling and heating and the use of energy efficient lighting and appliances
- Set carbon-neutral building standards for new construction
- Mainstream sustainable building within urban and rural planning
- Incentivize mini-grid solutions, district heating and cooling and waste to energy systems
- Plan cities for strategic density and mixed use of buildings and urban fabric, so that neighborhoods have the services they need at the local scale
- Integrate grey, blue and green infrastructure to manage resources and runoff with minimal impact to the environment
- Invest in physical and market infrastructure to better link rural and urban producers and consumers
- Develop smart systems to integrate buildings, mobility and energy systems, including traffic management, distributed EV-charging and integrated planning processes
- Assess and reduce your energy use and carbon footprint
- Make long-term sustainability a core facet of your business and investment practices
- Capitalize on government incentives designed to lower carbon emissions
- Be a leader in sustainable and low-carbon practices
- Educate your consumers and clients about sustainability
Join Race to Zero global campaign that is rallying support from business, cities, regions, and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery.
- Urge your politicians to propose carbon-neutral building standards and retrofitting
- Push for and support carbon-neutral building standards and retrofitting policies
- Speak up at work to make carbon neutral buildings a collective issue
- Advocate for carbon neutral buildings in your community
- Talk to friends about the need for carbon neutral buildings and cities
- Attend or arrange events or communities for carbon neutral buildings and cities
- Understand a home’s energy efficiency before you buy or rent
- Find out where your home loses energy and take steps to address it
- Seal windows and doors, stop thermal bridges through insulation, install double-glazed doors and invest in heat pumps
- Regulate temperature by adding verandas, green roofs, high-inertia walls and bio-based insulation made from renewable or recyclable materials
- Use curtains and blinds to keep homes cooler and reduce the need for air conditioning
- Switch to LED lighting and understand efficiency performance when buying new appliances, especially air conditioners.