Report "Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges and Opportunities

Citation

(2007), "Report "Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges and Opportunities", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 18 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/meq.2007.08318eae.007

Report "Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges and Opportunities"

The right mix of appropriate government regulation, greater use of energy saving technologies and behavioural change can substantially reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the building sector which accounts for 30-40 percent of global energy use, says this new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Sustainable Construction and Building Initiative (SBCI). The report states that many opportunities exist for governments, industry and consumers to take appropriate actions during the life span of buildings that will help mitigate the impacts of global warming.

Citing the example of Europe, the report says more than one-fifth of present energy consumption and up to 45 million tonnes of CO₂ per year could be saved by 2010 by applying more ambitious standards to new and existing buildings. It also emphasizes that the building sector stakeholders themselves, including investors, architects, property developers, construction companies, tenants, etc. need to understand and support, such policies in order for them to function effectively. The report also notes that approaches to finding building solutions will vary. Copies of the UNEP SBCI Buildings and Climate Change report can be downloaded from: www.unep.fr/ or www.unep.org