Assessing the Potential to Reduce U.S. Building CO2 Emissions 80% by 2050

Buildings are responsible for 36% of CO2 emissions in the United States. That means real estate owners and managers need to do their part in the fight for a sustainable energy future. Several cities across the United States are stepping up; passing legislation and regulations to increase efficiency in an effort to reduce emissions. At the national level, the White House has formulated the U.S. Mid-Century Strategy to mitigate climate change.

How realistic is the plan? If everything goes as predicted, the U.S. building sector has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions 80% by 2050, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Building owners and managers are looking for cost-effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over both the short and long term. The road map to significant reduction has been laid out. A combination of aggressive efficiency measures, electrification, and high renewable energy penetration can have a dramatic effect. The largest reductions came from improvements to a building’s envelope, installing building controls, and implementing heat pumps.

Fighting climate change will be a decades long process. If we’re to meet the goals of the U.S. Mid-Century Strategy, work must begin immediately. Mitigation is still possible if the commitment from stakeholders holds.

Read the full report: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2019.07.013