The Facts about Architecture and Climate Change

For those involved in the design of buildings and cities, be they architects, urbanists, or citizens, there is a deep responsibility to be aware of, and design for, the impact of climate change. With 36% of global energy devoted to buildings and 8% of global emissions caused by cement alone, the architectural community is deeply entwined with the flows of materials, energy, and ideas that relate to climate change, both causes and solutions.

1. Buildings and Climate Change

• 36%: The percentage of global energy devoted to buildings and construction. 22% is residential buildings usage, 8% is non-residential usage, and 6% is the construction industry.

• 82%: The global energy consumption in buildings supplied by fossil fuels in 2015.

• 33%: The share of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions emitted by buildings. This makes them the single biggest global emitter by sector.

2. Cities and Climate Change

• 28: The number of cities around the world that have signed the World Green Building Council’s "Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment."

• 70%: The share of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions attributed to cities. This is despite cities only occupying 3% of the Earth’s land.

• 880 million: The estimated number of people living in informal settlements around the world that are highly vulnerable to climate change.

3. Materials and Climate Change

• 55%: The percentage of energy used in the construction of a new building that is devoted to extracting materials and products. 20% is used in the construction phase, and 10% in the transport phase.

• 8%: The share of global CO2 emissions generated by cement alone. If it were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter behind China and the US.

• 80%: The weight reduction from a concrete-structured building to a timber-structured building. This would result in minimal foundations, and a lower embodied energy.

4. Architectural Innovation and Climate Change

• 230: The energy savings (in EJ) to 2040 that could be gained by integrating smart controls and connected devices in new buildings. This would lower building energy consumption by 10% globally.

5. Architects and Climate Change

• 2050: The American Institute of Architects’ target year to achieve net-zero emissions from the US building sector.

• 2002: The year that Architecture 2030 was founded, a professional alliance that promotes sustainable design practices.