Zero carbon buildings in cities

Why is it essential to decarbonise buildings to achieve net-zero targets?
Buildings are responsible for 37% of energy related CO2 emissions, making them a critical lever to reduce
GHG emissions worldwide (UNEP, 2022). Although the energy consumed per square meter in buildings
has steadily decreased, the pace of reduction needs to accelerate significantly nearly fivefold over the
next decade (IEA, n.d.). Between 2010 and 2020, the new built-up areas across the globe consumed an
area as big as Austria (OECD, 2024). By 2030, global floor area is expected to increase by around 15%,
meaning that every week, a new area the size of Paris is built around the globe (United Nations, 2023[4]).
Moreover, the demand for new buildings is poised to surge in the future. In Africa, where the population is forecast to rise to at least 2.4 billion by 2050 (African Development Bank, n.d.[5]), the residential building stock is projected to double to almost 50 billion m2 over the same period (IEA, 2023[6]), with 80% of new construction taking place in cities, especially slums (Muggah and Kilcullen, 2016[7]). Similarly, Asia will see a substantial rise in construction as another 65% of the current floor area is projected to be built between 2020 and 2050 (IEA, 2022). Most of the growth will take place in the residential sector due to population growth and the increasing number of households, linked to increasing income (GlobalABC/IEA/UNEP, 2020).
Decarbonising the urban built environment is a complex task, involving many different stakeholders and
interests across multiple levels. On the one hand, buildings are inherently local infrastructure subject to
different climate zones, historical contexts, and social conditions. Decarbonisation solutions should
therefore be tailored to local needs. For instance, there are varying decarbonisation needs of existing
buildings with respect to energy use between rural and urban areas in OECD countries (OECD, 2024[3]).
On the other hand, decarbonising buildings requires global co-ordination of efforts and innovation in terms of materials, design, and energy use. By sharing research, technology, and strategies that have proven effective, countries can avoid duplication of effort, speed up the adoption of sustainable practices, and make more efficient use of resources.
In response to the multifaceted challenge of decarbonising the urban built environment, governments
around the world are taking action at supranational, national and local levels. On a supranational level, for
example, the European Union’s (EU) Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), updated in 2024,
sets decarbonisation milestones for member states. Nationally, many countries are setting their own
standards for energy efficiency in buildings, such as Norway’s TEK17, Denmark’s BR18, and France’s
RE2020. At the local level, cities such as Vancouver (Canada) and New York (US) have implemented local
carbon limits for large buildings, striving for impactful measures.

source:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kadir-tas-a1106a22_zerocarbon-buildings-in-cities-ugcPost-7327713452641132544-y73V?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAtGGkQBsxwMBmX3lEJO8btihnfBCaHqTz4