Section 5
COMMON BARRIERS FOR CONSIDERATION Our urgent need for climate action demands that every new built asset should be delivered in alignment to the targets of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. The consultation process for this report identified several challenges that need to be tackled to create an aligned framework of principles that consider the interface of buildings and infrastructure.
1. Boundaries: Emissions boundaries between buildings and infrastructure are complex – one asset’s scope 1 emissions are another’s scope 3 emissions 46 and the boundaries of operational control can be challenging. Clear and consistent emissions boundary approaches between buildings, transportation and energy systems are an important consideration.
2. Baselines: Business as usual reference cases are often based on mandatory national standards 47 upon which percentage improvements are rewarded. The problem of differing local demands due to climate, capacity, and demand as well as a range of other factors may make such quantified comparisons impossible. Achieving common baselines that correspond to the needs of climate change trajectories and sustainable development are important in developing aligned principles across different asset classes.
3. Asset lifespan: Different asset classes within the built environment have different lifespans and varying balance of embodied and operational impacts. Providing alignment and ability to compare different asset types for both buildings and infrastructure on both embodied and operational impacts is an important challenge to consider.
4. Approach to offsets: At this point in history, even the most ambitious projects have residual emissions that must be offset to align with a net zero approach. Different offset approaches bring different levels of acceptability within the broader community and a variety of co-benefits. When considering the whole life carbon offsets required for any built asset, WorldGBC recommends ‘Advancing Net Zero Whole Life Carbon: Offsetting Residual Emissions from the Building and Construction Sector’ to provide a clear methodology that meets global expectations for emissions reduction.
WorldGBC Beyond Buildings Report
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