PG&E Energy Centers’ Post

The most recent Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction was released last week at the Buildings and Construction Global Forum in Paris. A bit lost within the noise of the Forum, this report is a sobering assessment of our progress towards a #ZeroCarbon #BuiltEnvironment. 📈 📊 The big take-away: We are not on track. Modest decreases in #EnergyUseIntensity were more than offset by an increase in floor area, for yet another year of record high emissions from the buildings sector. 🌲 ☘ New this year: #NatureBasedSolutions. Deep dives into nature and #BiophilicDesign in this year's report reinforce its focus on adaptation and resilience. The report also recognized the #SocialImpact of buildings and #GenderEquity challenges in the construction sector. 🔦 💡 What's missing: #EmbodiedCarbon and #Sufficiency. Indicators tracked by the Global Status Report focus primarily on operating carbon. We know, however, that two things - the volume of new building and the carbon emitted from materials and the construction process - will play an outsized role in achieving (or not) our climate ambitions over the next 3 decades. 🏢 🏠 Our Architecture 2030 team was honored to be among the dozen official reviewers again this year, incorporating comments from Vincent Martinez, Edward Mazria, Julie Hiromoto, FAIA, Kelly Alvarez Doran, Yasemin Kologlu, Pablo La Roche, Prem Sundharam, Andrea Love, AIA, LEED Fellow, Carl Elefante, Anica Landreneau and me, along with Robyn Pender and our colleagues at Climate Heritage Network. Kira Gould

Thank you for sharing Lisa Richmond 1. We are not on track: Modest improvement in #energy use / #energyefficiency, #electrification substantially offset by #increases in #floor area. We must truly consider what we need rather than striving to own progressively larger #McMansions 2. What's missing: #EmbodiedCarbon and #Sufficiency: the volume of new buildings and associated carbon emitted from materials : construction process needs to be the focus of climate ambitions. We must invest in low carbon materials technologies and #reuse, #recycle, reduce waste and shift to #circulareconomy models. What we #measure gets managed. Universal consistent regulatory measurement of #carbon will give industry the confidence to comprehensively invest in transformation to achieve the circular economy. UN Environment Programme

Hi all, Over the weekend, while preparing for my LEED AP exam, I took a deep dive into an aspect of sustainable urban development—specifically the impact of all-electric building systems on decarbonization, as framed by the new LEED v5 standards. This approach aligns with the broader shift towards reducing our carbon footprint and promoting environmental sustainability in urban environments. Transitioning to all-electric systems represents a transformative shift in how buildings are powered, emphasizing the use of clean electricity sources over fossil fuels. This shift not only supports the decarbonization of urban infrastructure but also enhances compatibility with renewable energy integration. The move towards all-electric buildings under LEED v5 is designed to decrease operational carbon emissions significantly, aligning with global climate action goals. I explored how these systems could be implemented effectively within the constraints of existing urban landscapes, considering factors like the current energy grid capabilities, the availability of renewable energy sources, and the economic implications of retrofitting older buildings versus incorporating systems into new constructions. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for anyone involved in urban planning, architecture, or sustainability initiatives. Let’s discuss how we can collectively drive this positive change in our professional spheres! #LEEDv5 #Sustainability #UrbanPlanning #Decarbonization #AllElectricBuildings #greenbuilding

Good reading for all in the built environment space.

As temperatures rise and climate concerns loom, architects and developers are incorporating sustainable design practices to minimize environmental impact. By incorporating eco-friendly materials, renewable energy systems, and climate-resilient design elements, developers can enhance occupant comfort while reducing carbon footprints. https://bit.ly/3ZwfOzZ

Why Does the Built Environment’s 40% CO₂ Figure Keep Coming Up in Construction Presentations? We often see the stat: “The built environment accounts for 40% of global CO₂ emissions” in presentations about construction. But here’s the thing—while that number is true, is it really relevant when we’re focusing on improving the sustainability of modern construction? The term “built environment” covers everything constructed over decades or even centuries, including inefficient buildings from the past. I get the importance of this stat when talking about retrofitting old buildings—but today's construction follows increasingly strict sustainability regulations and client demands for greener, more efficient structures. So, what value does linking construction to that broad 40% figure actually add to discussions about improving sustainability today? Shouldn’t we focus more on specific areas where modern construction can make an impact—like using low-carbon materials and better energy management? It’s time to start asking the right questions and targeting the real opportunities for making construction more sustainable. I believe we also need to be critical of “potential” innovations and vague generalisations — making sure we prioritize impact over hype. What’s your take? Are we relying too much on broad stats and missing the real areas for improvement in modern construction? #Sustainability #BuiltEnvironment #ModernConstruction #GreenBuilding #ClimateAction

Up or down, the changes are significant! Globally Construction Carbon emissions increased by 1% in 2022, which equated to 10,000,000 more cars on the road. During the same duration the energy sector reduced their emissions by 3.5%. "There is no credible path to address climate change without a fundamental shift in the building and construction industry sector" UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Anderson. https://lnkd.in/e6kNxmUq What does this shift look like? 1. Increasing energy efficient buildings 2. Increase retrofit in lieu of new build 3. Adopt passive design measures 4. Collect data and learn from it V-Quest can help analyse the relationship between carbon, cost and building mass. The result is an optimised design, one with achievable carbon emission reduction. Get in touch and we can show you how you can be part of the solution.

Probably not big news to you, but the link to the 1,000,000 building study conducted in Chicago (https://lnkd.in/gYkEVabi) leads to some really impressive work. Decarbonization and a lifecycle approach to embodied carbon will have a profound impact on the buildings industry. This is amazing. #decarbonization

California is taking bold steps towards sustainability with new embodied carbon requirements. We are excited to share the latest developments in the building industry as California sets a pioneering standard with its new mandatory embodied carbon requirements through the California Green Building Standard Code, known as CALGreen. Starting July 1st, all non-residential buildings over 100,000 SF and school buildings over 50,000 SF will need to comply with the new measures. This makes California the first state to implement embodied carbon mandates on new construction. At Glotman Simpson, we are committed to leading the change in building decarbonization. We have developed advanced embodied carbon tracking and visualization tools, integrated BIM with Tally LCA, and a specialized database of EPD’s, enabling us to assist our clients in reducing their carbon footprint efficiently. Learn more about CALGreen and how it impacts the industry: https://bit.ly/4dUjBMp #GSOnTrack #GSJourneyToNetZero #EmbodiedCarbon #CALGreen #BuildingStandards #GreenBuilding #StructuralEngineering #StructuralDesign #CreativeThinkers #WeAreGS #GlotmanSimpson #SE2050

For this May's #GSOnTrack post, we wrote about the upcoming #CALGreen embodied carbon mandates in the 2022 California Building Code mid-cycle update. Last summer, California became the first in the nation to pass mandatory embodied carbon building regulation, which will start coming into effect July 1st, 2024. To read more about the mandates, and how we can help, check out our article here: https://lnkd.in/g8G_bRQt