COP21 Hosts a First "Buildings Day," Recognizing the Role of the Built Environment in Climate Change

Posted by: Allison Friedman // Rate It Green Admin

COP21 BUILDINGS DAY
3 December 2015

It makes a great deal of sense to recognize the role and opportunities present in the built environment for taking climate change action. Globally, buildings produce up to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. In the US alone, the EPA estimates that buildings consume approximately 39% of total energy. We can do better - and the world can do better. We must find ways to plan, build, operate and maintain buildings with fewer materials, using less energy, and in a manner more healthy for occupants and the environment.

The need to build green simply can not be considered controversial. As many have said before, green building is also just smart building. Green building saves money and resources, and increases productivity and health. And yes, it's also the right thing to do for the planet.

BUILDINGS DAY ALLIANCE PROPOSITION:
To read more: http://staging.unep.org/pdf/B-Day_brochure_English.pdf

Before COP21, every country will have determined its national contribution to limit global warming to
below 2 °C. The world must come together immediately to support them to meet – and where possible, exceed – their targets. By publicly committing to support countries to implement ambitious actions in the buildings sector, including to meet their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), we propose an alliance to leverage our capabilities to facilitate:

• Communication – Raising awareness and engagements, making visible the magnitude of
the opportunities and impacts in the buildings sector, defining sectoral goals and promoting
transparency and information exchange.

• Collaboration – Taking action to further enable public policies and market transformations
towards climate neutrality, implementing partnerships, sharing technology and know-how, and
improving deal-flow and access to efficient financing and funding.

• Solutions – Offering programs for further ambition and locally adapted solutions that firmly put
the buildings sector on a below 2 °C path: increasing efficiency of buildings systems and envelope,
mainstreaming low GHG materials, low-emission new buildings and scaling up deep renovation.


Rate It Green stands ready to help people and institutions everywhere collaborate and help each other lean more about green building, through information and conversations. Let's start making a difference right away through sharing what we know, and by asking what we don't know so we can learn.