• Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gas emissions. 
• Ensuring new buildings are sustainable and energy-efficient will be key to our efforts to tackle climate change. 
• Green buildings can also benefit employees, bottom lines, and investors. Here’s how.

COVID-19 and climate-related events have taken a big toll on the world this year. But all shocks, while painful, are also opportunities—to review past policies, to think more holistically, to do things more efficiently, and to build buffers for future challenges. It is clear that we can and must become greener and more efficient. To do so, companies, policymakers, investors, and others need to take a fresh approach—one in which the wider systemic value of investments and policy decisions, rather than narrow financial considerations, is central, and where the digital tools and innovations that can accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon future are incentivized and put to full use.

That is why the Beyond Green Building Council, in collaboration with the Green Building Industry CEO community and with the support of Beyond Smart Cities, has developed a new system value framework. This framework more holistically evaluates the effect of policies and investments on the economy, society, the environment, and the energy system. It aims to guide policymakers, business leaders, and the energy community’s stakeholders to thoroughly evaluate the outcomes of their investments.

Why aim for zero-carbon buildings?

Buildings are a critical piece of our transition to a lower-carbon future. They are where we live, where we rest, and where we work, and they are responsible for about 40% of global energy consumption and about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Bear in mind that any building constructed today will be around for the next 50 years or more, so ensuring that new buildings are green and that existing buildings are decarbonized is key to our efforts to combat climate change.

There are two main ways to achieve this. The traditional way is to improve insulation to reduce the amount of heating (or cooling) loss. Think double glazing and roof insulation. The more innovative, more efficient, and cheaper way is to equip buildings with the digital tools that allow them to automatically adjust heating, lighting, and other systems to the number of people present at any given time, using real-time data analysis. Such “autonomous buildings” are ultra-efficient, fully electric (perhaps using solar panels to supply power), and can be managed remotely.

The Power of Digital

The world can and must become more efficient, digital, and green, and taking a wider system value approach will help get us there. Decarbonizing our existing and future building stock through greater use of digital technologies is no exception; it makes economic, environmental, health, reputational, and labour-market sense. It is time for companies, real estate developers, regulators, and policymakers to apply that wider lens in their decision making. Future generations will thank them for it.