Govt must prioritise low-carbon buildings – UNEP
Temiloluwa O’Peters
The United Nations Environment Programme has called on governments to prioritise low-carbon buildings in pandemic stimulus packages and updated climate pledges.
UNEP’s annual Emissions Gap Report 2020 disclosed that emissions from the operation of buildings hit their highest-ever level in 2019, moving the sector further away from fulfilling its huge potential to slow climate change.
The 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, from the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, found that while global building energy consumption remained steady year-on-year, energy-related CO2 emissions increased to 9.95 GtCO2 in 2019.
According to the report, the increase is due to a shift away from the direct use of coal, oil and traditional biomass towards electricity, which had a higher carbon content due to the high proportion of fossil fuels used in generation.
Building-related emissions hit record high
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CO2 emissions from building sector highest in 2019: UNEP
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updated: Dec 16 2020, 23:03 ist
Planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from buildings and construction are jeopardising global goals to keep devastating climate change at bay, a U.N.-backed coalition warned on Wednesday, after data showed they hit an all-time high in 2019.
The use of coal, oil and natural gas for heating, lighting and cooking fuelled a rise in emissions from the operation of buildings to about 10 gigatons last year, including direct emissions and indirect emissions from power generation, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) said.
Another key factor is growing energy demand for cooling as air-conditioner ownership rises with worsening extreme heat.