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Green Building Councils are joining forces with leading cities around the world to ramp up energy efficiency within buildings, under a new partnership between the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and the World Resources Institute-led Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA).
Green Building Councils in Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Poland and South Africa will work with mayors and staff in the cities of Bogota, Dubai, Warsaw and Tshwane under the BEA in a bid to double the rate of energy efficiency by 2030.
They will help cities to define the best action they can take to make efficiency improvements and receive market buy-in from those in the sector who will help to deliver the energy savings.
‘Cities are powerful leaders: as owners, investors and regulators, they shape the sustainability of our future. Buildings that are efficient improve the productivity of both people and energy systems.’
JENNIFER LAYKE
Director, Building Efficiency Initiative, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, World Resources Institute
This work is being undertaken as part of the BEA, a public-private partnership of cities, businesses and organisations that aims to improve energy efficiency in buildings. The BEA is one of six accelerators under Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All), an initiative led by the United Nations Secretary-General.
As one of the larger delivery partners under the BEA, WorldGBC and the participating Green Building Councils are turning climate finance into concrete, timely and measurable action in cities in the wake of COP21.
Green Building Councils will provide direct support to the city governments, while WorldGBC will share resources and build capacity around the value of green building certification programmes that can operate at a national but also local level.
‘Cities and the buildings which make them up consume around 75% of global energy, putting them at the coal face of our fight against climate change.
‘But whilst they are a major consumer of energy, cities also have huge potential to dramatically reduce energy use, with buildings offering one of the most effective ways to do so. Through collaboration with cities, our Green Building Councils will provide on-the-ground expertise to help realise this opportunity.’
TERRI WILLS
CEO of the World Green Building Council
Reducing energy in buildings is essential if the world is to avoid dangerous climate change. Energy used in buildings often accounts for half of all carbon emissions of some cities, while buildings in some larger cities can be responsible for up to 80% of emissions.
Given that two-thirds of the world’s population are expected to live in cities by 2050, this places a further demand for buildings that are energy efficient and that enable a high quality of life.
‘In line with the Dubai Integrated Energy strategy 2050, which aims to reduce 30% of the energy demand by 2030 as well as the demand side management programmes including building retrofit, the Building Efficiency Accelerator is an important programme for the Emirate of Dubai, particularly in energy security.
‘We are pleased to join the Building Efficiency Accelerator, which will help to foster a culture of efficiency in existing and new buildings which allows us to see the best practices and benefits from other cities’ experiences to ensure a sustainable environment for future generations.’
HIS EXCELLENCY AHMED BUTTI AL MUHAIRBI
Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE)
Further Green Building Councils are expected to join the BEA through WorldGBC as the partnership develops.
Click here for further information on the Building Efficiency Accelerator.
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