This white paper is looking primarily at commercial energy use, specifically in buildings. Energy is the largest operating expense in commercial buildings, requiring approximately one-third of the operating budget. Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as 25% of global water usage. Ensuring new buildings are sustainable and energy-efficient will be key to our efforts to tackle climate change. No one group of stakeholders, whether researchers, project developers, policy-makers, public donors or private investors, can do everything.
But everyone can, and must, do something. Given the massive growth in new construction in economies in transition, and the inefficiencies of existing building stock worldwide, if nothing is done, greenhouse gas emissions from buildings will more than double in the next 20 years. Therefore, if targets for greenhouse gas emission reduction are to be met, it is clear that decision-makers must tackle emissions from the building sector. Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings must be a cornerstone of every national climate change strategy.