With urban population growth, cities need more infrastructure: 75 percent of the infrastructure required by 2050 is not yet in place (Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation, 2014). If the construction industry continues to use traditional methods, it could have devastating effects on the environment, the atmosphere, natural resources, health and the economy.
Buildings and construction together account for 36 percent of global final energy use and an estimated one third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (UN Environment and International Energy Agency, 2017). This global construction sector is also experiencing unexpected growth, which This provides a critical window of opportunity to address buildings and construction over the next decade to avoid lock-in of inefficient buildings over the next 40 years. Consequently, reducing the carbon footprint of materials and equipment in the buildings value chain by taking a life-cycle approach is needed to lower embodied energy and emissions in buildings materials.
Cities can lead the way in building-sector carbon neutrality pathways by proactively redeveloping their own buildings and working closely with building owners, real estate developers and building occupants.
Click on the following sections to learn more about energy efficiency in buildings.
Integrate with district energy systems
District energy systems can lower the primary energy consumption for heating and cooling off for buildings because these systems are networks of underground underground insulated pipes that pump hot or cold water to multiple buildings in a district, neighbourhood or city.
Improve energy efficiency
Improving technology performance is a key component of the transition to sustainable buildings. Efficiency improvements, including building envelope measures, represent nearly 2 400 EJ in cumulative energy offsets to 2060 – more than all the final energy consumed by the global buildings sector over the last 20 years (IEA, 2013)
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