Buildings direct and indirect related emissions under the responsibility of the building sector (energy consumption for heating and cooling, hot water and lighting; leakage of F-gas; energy and GHG embedded in Building materials) represent today nearly 20% of the worldwide GHG emissions. Meanwhile the building floor area should double by 2050. The success of the implementation of the Paris agreement needs a real transition towards low energy, low GHG and resilient Buildings. The GABC's challenge is to facilitate this worldwide transition by reinforcing clear actions and initiatives of all stakeholders of the building sector value chain.
This transition integrates in a new energy paradigm. Indeed, energy policy has been structured by supply issues. Now the falling prices of renewable technologies open the possibility of phasing out fossil energies in almost all sectors, including the building and construction one. Yet, guaranteeing access to energy for all to have a good life quality and comfort cannot be accomplished by a simple substitution of energy sources. This requires to guide energy policies towards the notion of energy services and energy demand, as an in-depth transformation of the energy demand is needed. This is difficult to achieve as energy demand is complex to plan. Developed countries should decrease their energy consumption per inhabitant, whereas the other countries should guarantee an access to energy that would allow a satisfying life quality and comfort per inhabitant, by at the same time reducing the environmental impact. Within this context, the GABC offers the possibility to foster cooperation among countries and connect them in a collective and unified effort to plan energy demand.
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