Where would we get the most bang for our buck in the reduction of carbon emmissions? A
new report from the
Commission for Environmental Cooperation suggests that "the design,
location, construction, operation and disposal of buildings" all represent occasions where decisions are made that affect the environmental impact of a building.
Upfront construction costs vs. ongoing utility costs are all a balancing act, but the balance may be tipping to increase upfront investment to decrease the ongoing costs of energy.
In the United States,
according to the EPA, buildings account for:
40 percent of total energy use;
12 percent of the total water consumption;
68 percent of total electricity consumption;
38 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions; and
60 percent of total non-industrial waste generation
Look for changes to start soon. Today less than 3% of new construction is considered "green", by 2030 (less than 25 years from now) the American Institute of Architects issued a position statement that calls for the "immediate energy reduction of all new and renovated buildings to half the national average for that building type, with increased reductions of 10 percent every five years so that all buildings designed by the year 2030 will be carbon-neutral." A big challenge, but the
U.S. Conference of Mayors is on board ... are you?
