Buildings are big polluters: here’s the path to their decarbonisation.

Published by Smart Energy International: Buildings account for 39% of all the carbon emissions in the US, more than any other sector. According to the US Green Building Council, the emissions of US buildings alone are more than those of any other country except China, hence the need to ensure the development of mechanisms to address the climate challenge. Advances in the most recent three-year code cycle update have delivered energy savings–and resulting emissions reductions–of approximately 9% for residential in the IECC and 4.7 % for commercial in ASHRAE 90.1 building codes.“But this progress is neither consistent nor assured,” according to a statement.

This has pushed RMI to partner with the New Buildings Institute (NBI) to ensure the development of new energy efficiency and building codes that are in line with the Paris Agreement climate action targets. RMI and the NBI have formed the Codes for Climate, an initiative that will support the development and adoption of climate-aligned new construction codes and existing building performance standards for states and cities. The initiative will aim states and cities whose building and energy efficiency codes are advanced compared to national model codes.