Join the World Business Council for Sustainable Development for the launch webinar of the Net-zero Operational Carbon Buildings: State of the Art Report, where the current state of the transition to operational net-zero in the property sector will be presented through an international review of key definitions, policy and industry standards. This report sheds light on the existing gaps that need to be addressed to make net-zero operational carbon buildings a widespread reality.
The built environment is a crucial sector for decarbonization, as it accounts for approximately 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions. Aligning with the 1.5 °C Paris Agreement, decarbonization targets aim to reduce global carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, as emphasized by the United Nations-backed Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action.
Operational carbon emissions constitute a significant portion of these emissions. Unfortunately, the 2022 UNEP Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction highlighted that CO2 emissions from building operations have reached an all-time high, and we are falling short of the aforementioned goals.
This report is part of a series that explores the entire life cycle carbon emissions of buildings and their transition to net-zero. A previous publication, "Net-zero Buildings: Halving Construction Emissions Today," addressed existing solutions to mitigate embodied carbon emissions. This report focuses on operational emissions, providing a baseline for a future piece in which solutions to reduce operational emissions will be offered. This report focuses on the current status of the transition to operational net-zero for the property sector, through an international review of key definitions, policy and industry standards, and illuminates gaps for net-zero operational carbon buildings to become a widespread reality.
A recent evaluation of the 2,000 largest public companies, with total sales of nearly 14 trillion, reveals that one-fifth of them have made net-zero commitments. Nevertheless, conclusions are unequivocal: in the property sector, there is currently no globally consistent and robust definition of a net-zero building, no national policy requiring buildings to achieve net-zero emissions, limited incentives, and considerable variation in standards set by net-zero industry certifications, resulting in very few truly net-zero buildings worldwide.
After presenting the findings, roundtable discussions will be conducted on how to achieve net-zero operational carbon buildings with expert panelists spanning the entire value chain. Panelists for the morning session include:
- Audrey Nugent from World GBC
- Timothy Lok from Swire Properties
- Agustin Garcia del Castillo Calvo from Johnson Controls
- Christopher Botten from Lendlease
Panelists for the afternoon session include:
- Chiara Delmastro from the IEA
- Marta Schantz from ULI
- Emily Vesling from Trane Technologies
Two sessions will be hosted on Thursday, November 9th, to accommodate different time zones:
Morning Session:
- Time: 9:00 to 10:00 CET (16:00 - 17:00 SGT)
Afternoon Session:
- Time: 16:00 to 17:00 CET (10:00 - 11:00 EST)
Please register here.
