A new report by McKinsey & Company has revealed that emissions from the built environment could be cut by over 50% by 2030 using technologies available today.
The built environment accounts for 26% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 37% of all CO2 emissions, according to McKinsey; thus, decarbonising the sector could have huge wider decarbonisation benefits.
In collaboration with the Net Zero Built Environment Council, the management consultant company looked at over 1,000 decarbonisation levers for the built environment, identifying the top 30 cost effective methods to decarbonise buildings.
One example provided by the analysis is that heat pumps could abate emissions released from space cooling, heating and water heating which accounts for approximately 60% of the built environment’s operational emissions.
The report warns that industry players must “act decisively” to bolster the production of technologies and materials and develop necessary operational skills across the value chain to be able to implement solutions at scale.
McKinsey identified a number of business opportunities throughout the value chain that can help decarbonise the built environment including:
- Finance the green transition
- Electrify onsite construction
- Design and engineer green and cost-effective structure
- Deliver efficient energy and electrification upgrades
- Industrialise the production of green materials and energy-efficient building technology
Erik Sjödin, partner at McKinsey & Company said: “The report highlights potential pathways to decarbonise the built environment and presents many proven and available technologies and solutions that companies in the ecosystem can implement today, and often cost-effectively. We have aimed to focus on some of the largest opportunities that industry players could realise by scaling production, building future operating models, and developing skills and expertise across the value-chain.”
Our sister site Solar Power Portal recently published an article by architect Dr. Silke A. Krawietz, on how building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) could help decarbonise whole cities. The full article can be found here.
