WGBC Says Buildings Can Lead the Way to Reduced Carbon Emissions

function pop(URL){

win = window.open(URL, "win", "toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=740,height=500");

win.focus();

}

A new report published by the World Green Building Council (WGBC) asserts that the building sector presents the biggest opportunity to reduce carbon emissions, construction waste, and energy use worldwide while creating jobs, improving local economies, and producing affordable housing. The report, “Tackling Global Climate Change: Meeting Local Priorities,” illustrates how countries within four major world regions are using green building to fulfill local needs like disaster recovery, affordable housing, job creation, and improving the economy—all while reducing carbon output. According to WGBC, globally building construction uses 32% of the world’s resources and 40% of the world’s energy—generating up to 30% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. WGBC is developing a “Common Carbon Metric Protocol” to address the vast disparities in global GHG assessment and reporting; this standardization protocol will be useful for countries when developing GHG thresholds. The report can be found at www.worldgbc.org.

– Emily Catacchio