Net zero buildings

With outside temperatures reaching 28°C at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, air conditioning is running overtime to keep everyone cool inside the buildings. If the world is to combat climate change, energy use from buildings has to be reduced substantially. Buildings and construction account for about 35% energy and process-related CO2 emissions globally. The International Energy Agency’s Net Zero scenario projects CO2 emissions in the global buildings sector to decrease from about 9 billion tonnes in 2020 to 4 billion in 2030. Over the same time period, buildings floor space is forecast to grow 22% from 244 billion square meters to 297 billion. This scenario seems ambitious and it remains unclear what the progress is so far.

Source: International Energy Agency (IEA), 2023.