Disrupting an industry takes a profound commitment from all players within the industry. The World Green Building Council has challenged the building community to rethink sustainability in a way that will make a lasting impact.
This can only be truly achieved with collaboration from other parts of the industry. The World GBC reports that the USGBC and some US developers are already moving the needle.
Only 500 net-zero commercial buildings and 2000 ‘net-zero’ homes currently exist around the world, the study found. WorldGBC are calling for a “monumental and coordinated” effort from business and governments to ensure all existing buildings by 2050 operate at net-zero carbon, meaning they generate or supply their energy needs from renewable sources.
“We need nothing short of a dramatic and ambitious transformation from a world of thousands of net-zero buildings, to one of billions if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” said WorldGBC chief executive Terri Wills.
“Businesses, governments and NGOs hold the key to this transformation, but they must commit to aggressive action. It is possible to create a world in which every single building produces zero-carbon emissions, but we must start today.”
Net-zero
The building and construction industry, which accounts for around one-third of global emissions, will need to play a crucial role in keeping the global temperature at sustainable levels. These energy consumption levels are set to be exacerbated in the next 35 years, with the global building stock expected to double to 415 billion square metres.
