The construction industry remains horribly climate-unfriendly, The Economist.
About 27% of global carbon dioxide emissions are from building operation.
A 6% of emissions are from building construction plus 7% of emissions from other construction.
We can impact these emissions on both a personal and corporate level.
Here are some references:
How do buildings contribute to climate change? "It involves how we construct buildings, how we use them, and where they’re located"
How green buildings can help fight climate change. "By building green, we can reduce the impact our buildings have on contributing to climate change while also building resilience into our homes and communities." "Green building encompasses a structure’s planning, design, construction, operations and end-of-life recycling or renewal, while considering energy, water, indoor environmental quality, materials selection and location. Green buildings and communities reduce landfill waste, enable alternative transportation use and encourage retention and creation of vegetated land areas and roofs."
Environmental and Energy Study Institute "Because the energy demands of buildings are so large, designing and constructing energy efficient buildings can lead to large and vital reductions in energy consumption." "Fortunately, an increasing number of savvy home owners and commercial building owners understand that energy efficiency can save them hundreds or even thousands of dollars."
AIA (American Institute of Architects) Blueprint for Better "Human activity is warming our climate to dangerous levels, and carbon is the primary culprit. Buildings contribute about 40% of that carbon. The harm that results affects us all but doesn’t impact us all equally. As authors of that environment, architects are crucial to addressing and mitigating the damage." "For architects, this challenge is a pivotal opportunity in design, planning, and construction—a chance to address the carbon binge, drastically lower CO2 emissions, and shape the future of our world."
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) catalyses the uptake of sustainable and decarbonised built environments for everyone, everywhere. Released in 2019, the pioneering Bringing Embodied Carbon Upfront report demands radical cross-sector coordination to revolutionise the buildings and construction sector towards a net zero future, and tackle embodied carbon emissions.
Here are some of the limits on changing: Our City [New York] Could Become One of the World’s Greenest, but It Won’t Be Easy, NY Times, Feb 7 2023.
6 things to know about heat pumps, a climate solution in a box, NPR, April 1, 2023
As Heat Pumps Go Mainstream, a Big Question: Can They Handle Real Cold?, NY Times, Feb. 22, 2023. Yes, down to -13°F and below. But even in cold weather, electric heat pumps are more energy efficient than the gas or oil furnaces that heat many homes.
And some good news from a cold, rural state: Heat pumps boom in Maine, despite frigid cold and oil industry pushback, The Washington Post, 7 Feb 2023