Buildings not given enough attention in sustainability plans, according to research
City governments are setting ambitious sustainability targets, often well ahead of national goals; yet plans to tackle the carbon emissions from buildings are frequently given insufficient attention, according to research from JLL.
In the Decarbonizing Cities and Real Estate report, JLL’s research revealed that buildings’ contribution to emissions averages 60%, even higher in the world’s largest business centres – including as much as 78% in London – yet there is a significant gap between the policies enacted and the climate science that indicates the need to reach peak emissions to limit global warming. The research identified that the most successful cities to advance decarbonisation will be those that balance regulation, incentives, innovation and accelerators.
Guy Grainger, Global Head of Sustainability Services and ESG for JLL, said: “Partnerships between the private-sector and local governments are critical to driving tangible progress in decarbonising the economy, particularly in the Global North where so much retrofit is required of existing building stock.
“If this doesn’t happen expect local governments to introduce heavy regulation and penalties on building standards – there will be winners and losers as cities race to zero.”
Several cities were highlighted in the report out for their innovative approaches to reducing emissions from buildings, including New York City with a raft of local laws that are among the most stringent globally; Singapore and Vancouver, which have set out holistic approaches to greening their buildings; Paris and Amsterdam, which are taking a lead in considering embodied carbon; London and Los Angeles which are setting the pace on biodiversity; and Tokyo’s cap-and-trade program which incentivises building owners to reduce emissions.
However, the research warns that, in aggregate, at the global scale, policy is lagging the science today and this puts a greater onus on the private sector to take the lead in climate action. Waiting for regulation to take action is not advised, and those who act now will have more resilient assets and even a competitive edge.
The research also identified the pivotal role that knowledge sharing and accelerator programs play in facilitating the retrofitting of existing buildings, particularly for small owners and occupants. In developed cities, 80% of the building stock that will be standing in 2050 has already been built. To meet 2050 targets, retrofitting rates will need to exceed 3% per year – they currently stand at 1-2% – making knowledge sharing of sustainable practices between governments and large and small entities critical to keep pace.
