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Gauging climate action progress: Key findings from the U.N. Global Stocktake report

The draft report outlines progress since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change released its draft synthesis report for the first Global Stocktake on Sept. 8. The report is the first comprehensive assessment of collective progress on climate action since adopting the Paris Agreement in 2015. Its release comes on the heels of the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which described “widespread and rapid changes” occurring worldwide.

Key insights

The Global Stocktake report issues a stark review based on two years of data collection and stakeholder insights. Here are the key emerging messages:

  1. The Paris Agreement is driving near-universal climate action, but far more ambition is required on all fronts and by all actors. More ambitious mitigation targets, adaptation goals, and efforts to avert, minimize and address loss and damage are urgently needed.
  2. The global community is not on track to reduce emissions to the level needed to limit global temperature rise below 1.5 C (2.7 F). The window of opportunity to bridge this 20.3–23.9 GT CO2e divide is rapidly narrowing.
  3. Achieving the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement calls for systems transformations at all scales. Systems transformations should mainstream climate resilience and low-carbon development across sectors.
  4. By nature, systems transformations require a whole-of-society approach, engaging cities, states, financial institutions, the private sector and others.
  5. Renewable energy should be massively scaled up while phasing out all unabated fossil fuels. Critical elements of a just energy transition—beyond inclusivity and equity—include electrification, energy efficiency and energy storage.
  6. The global community must unlock and redeploy trillions of dollars in climate finance to enable climate action in developing countries.

Potential solutions

While the report offers a sobering review of climate action’s serious shortcomings, it also highlights the solutions that hold the greatest promise. Among those most relevant to the work of USGBC and the global green buildings community are

  • Pursuing low-carbon energy sources, efficiency gains and electrification for buildings.
  • Using low-carbon construction materials.
  • Leveraging nature-based solutions to sequester carbon and boost resilience in cities.
  • Implementing smart urban planning to reduce and manage waste.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/gauging-climate-action-progress-key-findings-un-global-stocktake-report

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Decarbonization at Greenbuild 2024

Decarbonization, defined as the removal of greenhouse gas production from the global economy, has become an imperative, with buildings identified as a critical sector to address. At USGBC, we are bringing all our tools and resources to meet this challenge, as are nations, companies, and countless green professionals and advocates.

As the global green building community’s top space for learning, networking and sharing insights, Greenbuild 2024, “Built to Scale,” will offer more than 100 sessions on the most critical topics in the industry. The conference will take place Nov. 12-15 this year in Philadelphia.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/decarbonization-greenbuild-2024

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Creating a drought-resistant oasis through community partnerships and native landscaping

The landscape was transformed at one elementary school through the use of native plants.

Each year, the Center for Green Schools Leaders in Sustainability Fellowship program selects a small group of school district sustainability staff from across the country to meet to connect and collaborate on common goals, challenges and strategies.

Melissa Carroll, resource energy manager for the Thompson School District in Loveland, Colorado, participated in the 2022–2023 fellowship. Through this program, she received support and feedback from the group regarding outreach and education strategies and shared lessons learned from programs such as the turf transformation project at Cottonwood Plains Elementary School.

Solving a local issue

Drought conditions in Colorado are common, and water costs are increasing each year—something Thompson School District is seeking to address through turf (or grass) conversions to native plantings throughout their school grounds. With design support from Denver Botanic Gardens; funding from Northern Water and Colorado Water Conservation Board; and community support from Cottonwood’s parent-teacher organization, in summer 2023, the Cottonwood Plains Elementary School replaced approximately 3,000 square feet of irrigated Kentucky bluegrass with low-water native landscaping that included over 300 plants, walking paths and sitting rocks.

The native plants can withstand drought conditions, while also offering year-round color and providing local habitats for hummingbirds and butterflies. The Thompson School District intends for this space to provide the students a way to connect with nature and a space for the community to learn about landscaping opportunities suitable for the local climate. Teachers are encouraged to use this space to enhance classroom learning on all topics, from biology to art to arithmetic.

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Enhancing building decarbonization through performance monitoring

BEE Incorporations shares how real-time performance monitoring can help projects reach decarbonization goals.

Feature image: The LEED Platinum One Museum Place in Shanghai, China. Photo courtesy of BEE Incorporations.

Feeling the effects of climate change and its devastating impacts on the environment, economies and societies, the world has recognized the urgent need to address the carbon emissions responsible for this crisis. Nations, corporations and communities are increasingly adopting net zero targets, aiming to balance their carbon emissions with carbon removal or offsetting measures. One crucial aspect of this endeavor is building decarbonization, where we focus on transitioning the construction and operation of buildings to low- or zero-carbon emissions.

The building sector contributes to approximately 40% of total CO2 emissions worldwide, making it a significant driver of climate change. As urbanization continues to rise, the demand for energy-efficient, eco-friendly buildings is surging, necessitating a shift toward more sustainable construction and operation practices.

The role of performance monitoring

Building performance monitoring is a cornerstone of successful building decarbonization efforts. It involves consistently tracking and analyzing various aspects of a building’s operation, including energy consumption, emissions and overall operational efficiency. Performance monitoring allows us to identify areas where buildings may be operating inefficiently.

At BEE Incorporations, we have gained significant experience in real-time monitoring through our smart building performance monitoring system. It is integrated with buildings and uses an ESG reporting tool to share real-time insights into indoor environmental quality, energy, water data and more. This type of system helps businesses minimize their environmental footprint and make informed sustainability decisions.

With information on energy usage patterns, facilities teams can pinpoint specific systems or behaviors that contribute to excess energy consumption. This real-time feedback loop promptly addresses deviations from sustainability goals, whether from human behavior or system malfunctions. It also helps prevent long-term inefficiencies by detecting issues that could lead to increased energy consumption or emissions over time.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/enhancing-building-decarbonization-through-performance-monitoring

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EPA opens applications for $4.3 billion in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants for implementation

The EPA has also released program guidance.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released program guidance and opened applications for states and local governments to apply for $4.3 billion in competitive funding as part of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. These funds are to help governments implement climate plans.

This follows the release of $250 million of planning grants under the CPRG. These funds have mostly made their way to states, local governments, territories and tribes to update or create climate action plans.

Implementation grants are only available to entities that received funding for planning grants or were covered by the scope of the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) developed by a lead regional or state organization. For example, if a city falls within a metro area that received planning grants, it is eligible to apply for implementation grants if its proposal is consistent with measures or actions identified in the metro area’s PCAP. Proposals for implementation grants must specifically implement measures outlined in a PCAP.

Funding details

The implementation grants will be split into two competitions: a general competition for states and local governments and a competition for tribes and territories. For the general competition, the EPA expects individual grants to be between $2 million and $500 million, with applications due April 1, 2024. The EPA requests that prospective applicants submit a letter of intent preceding their application by February 1, 2024. The program guidance highlights key implementation grant goals, including:

  • Reducing significant GHG emissions by 2030 and beyond.
  • Implementing programs and measures that will significantly reduce hazardous air pollutants in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
  • Leveraging CPRG funding with other federal funding opportunities to maximize emissions reduction. This includes the expanded suite of energy efficiency tax credits.
  • Developing replicable policies and programs that can be “scaled up” across multiple jurisdictions.

The EPA anticipates that proposals will encompass one or more major sectors responsible for significant GHG emissions, including “industry, electric power, transportation, commercial and residential buildings, agriculture/natural and working lands, and waste and materials management.” The EPA says that implementation grants can be used either for new programs/measures solely funded by CPRG funding, expansion of an existing program that will be supplemented by CPRG funding or a new program/measure that already has partial funding but needs additional financial support.

 

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Learn how LEED for Cities and Communities evolves to further advance the U.N. SDGs.

Learn how LEED for Cities and Communities evolves to further advance the U.N. SDGs.

World leaders convene in New York City this week for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. This year serves as the halfway point to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target year of 2030, and it is anticipated that ushering in a new phase of accelerated and transformative action will be the focus.

As a U.N. framework, the SDGs were set at the nation-state level. While global in their ambition, achievement of the 17 goals will depend on local action and leadership. All of the SDGs have targets that are directly or indirectly related to the daily work of local and regional governments and local stakeholders.

To support local leaders and advance implementation of the SDGs, we have updated our USGBC report, “Tracking Progress on Global Goals,” to reflect newly adopted improvements to the LEED for Cities and Communities rating system. With updates released this summer, the rating system advances critical content areas, including biodiversity, heat mitigation, public health, economic development, location efficiency, pedestrian and bicycle safety, mobility policies, responsible procurement, net zero, carbon neutrality and more.

This alignment report is an ongoing effort to crosswalk or translate the SDGs to the categories, credits and prerequisites within the LEED for Cities and Communities rating system. In doing so, we intend to help local leaders see how their investment in action on the frontlines contribute to progress and move the needle on outcomes at an even larger scale.

 

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Opportunities in LEED for promoting health through materials

The embodied carbon of building materials contributes to 13% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. To address this impact, the LEED rating system has established several credits that encourage projects to purchase materials with beneficial life cycle impacts and low embodied carbon that also promote building inhabitants’ safety, heath and well-being. Continuing to develop more holistic materials health requirements within LEED, with consideration for both human and ecological health, is crucial to moving the built environment forward.

Increasing interest in materials credits

Three credits in LEED v4.1 for Building Design and Construction (BD+C)—Low-Emitting Materials, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Material Ingredients—reward teams that find materials for their projects meeting both indoor environmental quality and climate health needs.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in these credits—they comprise 32% of all LEED v4.1 substituted credits, with projected all-time highs for credit use by the end of 2023 (there is an approximate 20%, 8% and 10% predicted increase in credit attempts for Low-Emitting Materials, Environmental Product Declarations and Material Ingredients credits, respectively).

Overall, LEED projects have historically had success with these credits through transparency (disclosure-based criteria for EPDs and Material Ingredients credits) and focusing on certain product categories for the Low-Emitting Materials credit. However, there are opportunities to push for greater optimization in low-emitting materials, embodied carbon and life cycle impacts to unlock more points for selecting preferable, healthier products in LEED.

Project trends in low-emitting materials

Projects that attempt the Low-Emitting Materials credit and apply for 2 or 3 points usually end up achieving all 3 points. Around 50% of projects applying for 2 points receive an additional point, inadvertently reaching the third point requirement by achieving the 90% threshold in three compliant product categories.

Those who pursue the credit typically report wet-applied products (paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants), but often do not disclose information about other products (composite wood, furniture, ceilings, wall panels and insulation). The average reported general emissions threshold (including 0% for those that did not disclose) is around 77% for wet-applied products and 40% for other products.

Previously successful product categories could potentially become mandatory in future versions of LEED because of their high uptake and the wide availability of products that meet the requirements at little or no incremental cost. For instance, in California, there is enough political infrastructure to achieve these categories with existing state indoor environmental quality requirements (the state requires that all building materials must be manufactured to meet the 70% threshold).

 

 

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/opportunities-leed-promoting-health-through-materials

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States explore adopting building performance standards policies

As the impetus for economy-wide decarbonization increases, a growing number of state and local governments are exploring the adoption of building performance standards (BPS), a policy trend that has the potential to significantly reduce energy, carbon and water use in existing buildings. To not overwhelm building owners and operators, BPS policies take an incremental approach, requiring buildings to meet specified levels of performance that grow more rigorous over time. BPS policies do not prescribe how the performance requirement will be met, leaving it to owners to determine the most cost-effective strategy for their building. Jurisdictions may choose to create standards around energy use, carbon emissions, water use or other metrics.

USGBC is highly supportive of BPS policies and is actively supporting legislation on both coasts in varying stages of development. Here’s a roundup of where we’re working:

  • California: SB 48, known as the Building Energy Savings Act, has been significantly amended since it was introduced by state Sen. Josh Becker in December (it was initially titled the Water and Energy Savings Act). In its current version, the bill would require the California Energy Commission to develop a strategy for using energy usage data to track and manage energy usage and GHG emissions for large buildings to achieve the state’s emissions goals—including by exploring the feasibility of a BPS policy. The strategy, along with recommendations for future legislative action, would be submitted to the legislature by August 1, 2026. USGBC has joined a coalition of supporters advocating for the enactment of this bill.
  • Maryland: Maryland became the third state (following Colorado and Washington) to enact a BPS policy in 2022, when its legislature enacted the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. The law requires buildings 35,000 square feet and larger to achieve a 20% reduction in net direct GHG emissions by 2030, and n​et zero emissions by 2040. Maryland’s Department of Environment initiated a rulemaking in the summer of 2022 and completed a draft regulation in March 2023. USGBC provided comments on the draft regulation, recommending the inclusion of a requirement for noncomplying buildings to create a plan for future compliance.
  • Massachusetts: The Better Buildings Act—jointly introduced in the Senate and House as S 2178 and H 3213, respectively—would direct the state’s Office of Energy Resources to establish a BPS policy for buildings over 20,000 square feet. USGBC is supportive of this bill and is advocating for amendments to improve its effectiveness. The Better Buildings Act is making its way through both chambers.
  • Oregon: Oregon became the most recent state to enact a BPS policy when Gov. Tina Kotek signed HB 3409 into law in June. The BPS, which was packaged alongside other environmental and climate change policies aimed at meeting the state’s GHG reduction targets, applies to commercial buildings larger than 35,000 square feet.
  • Rhode Island: During its 2023 legislative session, which adjourned in June, Rhode Island state legislators introduced S 166 and H 5425, which proposed to create benchmarking requirements and direct the establishment of a BPS policy for large commercial and residential buildings. While the bill did not progress this year, it will likely be introduced in 2024. USGBC is engaged in advocacy to improve and advance this legislation next session.
  • Seattle, Washington: Gov. Jay Inslee signed a statewide BPS policy into law in 2019 (and strengthened it last year), but Washington state’s largest city is upping the ante by introducing its own standard—one that targets emissions rather than energy. Building on the city’s existing Energy Benchmarking and Building Tune-Ups programs, the proposed Building Emissions Performance Standard requires commercial and multifamily buildings larger than 20,000 square feet to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The city estimates that this would cover 1,650 nonresidential buildings and about 1,885 multifamily buildings. The city is seeking feedback from stakeholders, and USGBC is involved with a coalition of supporters. It is anticipated the city council will vote on the policy in September.

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/states-explore-adopting-building-performance-standards-policies

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Advancing green infrastructure through policy

In urban areas, the absence of greenery and the prevalence of heat-absorbing materials such as asphalt and concrete creates heat islands, areas where temperatures can reach up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than surrounding nonurban areas. Higher temperatures, in turn, lead to higher levels of energy required for air-conditioning and higher GHG emissions overall.

The Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) can be used to guide landscape design to prioritize nature-based solutions to the human-made issues many urban areas face. SITES projects restore and protect ecosystem services so that the built environment can reap the benefits of greater efficiency and climate regulation.

In the case of heat-absorbing materials, vegetation can be used to replace or shade the heat-absorbing surfaces that are common in cities, serving as a natural method of regulating local climate. As an example of how greenery can have a direct impact on energy use for buildings, tree coverage of 20% of a house can create cooling savings of 8–18% and heating savings of 2–8%, which, in turn, reduces GHG emissions associated with air-conditioning use. Additionally, trees and shrubs naturally sequester carbon from the atmosphere and can help to reduce overall footprint.

 

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/advancing-green-infrastructure-through-policy

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Increase in solar jobs adds to the industry need for green professionals

Another new report, the National Solar Jobs Census 2022, released in July by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), shows an increase of 3.5% in solar jobs in just the past two years, with an even faster uptake in the industry expected due to the opportunities created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The census is based on a survey administered by BW Research for the U.S. Department of Energy’s United States Energy and Employment Report 2023. It defines solar workers as people who spend at least half of their work time on solar-related tasks.

The increase in solar: Report highlights

  • Since 2021, solar jobs have increased by 3.5%. There are approximately 264,000 solar workers in the U.S., the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
  • 2022 was a volatile year for solar, partly due to supply chain concerns, which slowed large-scale solar installations. However, residential solar jobs grew by 11%, balancing out the losses in utility-scale solar.
  • About two-thirds of solar positions in 2022 (171,558) were available from installation and project development firms. Manufacturing firms supplied 33,473 jobs; wholesale trade and distribution offered another 30,618; operations and maintenance had 16,585 jobs available; and 11,648 were recorded in a miscellaneous category.
  • California added the most solar jobs in 2022, with over 2,400. New York created almost 1,000 new jobs, Texas over 900, Florida more than 500 and Massachusetts over 475.

The challenge of filling solar industry jobs

USGBC’s own top 10 list of green jobs with high growth potential, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, published three years ago, included the role of solar energy installation manager as one of its top picks. However, in the 2022 census, 44% of solar industry employers stated it was “very difficult” to find qualified applicants—a common refrain among employers in green industries.

 

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/increase-solar-jobs-adds-industry-need-green-professionals