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The building sector is responsible
for half of all U.S. global warming emissions annually
and emissions are increasing at a concerning rate. It is time
for architects and builders to lead in the race to curb global
warming.
The American Institute of Architects, a 74,000-member organization,
recently declared that to meet our responsibility in keeping
global warming under 2°C we must adopt the following goals:
- All new buildings, developments and major renovation projects
should be designed to use half the fossil fuel energy they
would typically consume by 2010.
- By 2030 buldings should be carbon neutral, meaning they will use no fossil fuel energy to operate.
Because buildings can be made significantly more efficient without additional costs, consumers will save money. We calculate that if New Mexico adopted and implemented the AIA plan, New Mexicans would likely save hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming decade.
And, if other states and governments adopted these goals,
we could reduce global warming emissions by 2050 enough to
slow global temperature rise to less than 2°.
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To stay under the 2°C threshold we
must reduce global warming emissions by 60% below 1990
levels by 2050. |
We can meet this goal of making buildings 50% more efficient
by implementing and enacting a number of building policy initiatives
such as executive orders, improved codes, incentive programs,
and training programs.
Building Policy Initiatives» |
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