Data-Driven Partnering: Collaboration That Counts
Decarbonizing the building sector will require a massive, strategic, and coordinated effort by the public and private sectors
(WASHINGTON, DC, March 29, 2023) – The National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council has issued its 2022 Moving Forward Report, looking closely at the climate emergency and the path toward decarbonization of the U.S. built environment.
The report specifically examines embodied and operational carbon and greenhouse gases in existing buildings and new construction, providing realistic and effective carbon-reducing recommendations directly to President Joe Biden and policymakers, as well as to industry stakeholders.
“Human-induced climate change is a threat to human life and society, and steps must be taken across economic sectors to reduce the adverse impact of carbon and other harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” said AC Powell, JD, CPS, President and CEO of NIBS. “Progress has been made, but there is still far to go.”
The building sector is a significant contributor to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both in the U.S. and globally. These GHG emissions contribute to the widespread and worsening impacts of human-induced climate change, and can have adverse effects on local environments and populations by compromising indoor air quality and exacerbating outdoor air pollution. Mitigating these effects by decarbonizing the building sector will take an economy-wide effort, but the need to achieve near- and long-term emissions reductions is critically important.
Among the Consultative Council’s recommendations:
The Consultative Council assembles high-level building community representatives to investigate key challenges facing the building industry and make recommendations directly to the executive and legislative branches of government.
The 2021 Moving Forward Report, which was released in May 2022, examined the critical area of driving workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion in the built environment.
For more information, visit the Consultative Council.
National Institute of Building Sciences brings together labor and consumer interests, government representatives, regulatory agencies, and members of the building industry to identify and resolve problems and potential problems around the construction of housing and commercial buildings. NIBS is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It was established by Congress in 1974. For more information, visit nibs.org or follow @bldgsciences on Twitter and Facebook.