Leaders at the World Sustainable Built Environment conference (WSBE), held in Hong Kong, have called on the building sector to decarbonise by 2050 in order to keep global warming below two degrees.

The building sector is not currently on track to meet the temperature target set out in the Paris Agreement, with new building floor area surpassing energy efficiency improvements.   However tools and technologies exist to reduce its carbon emissions. Energy performance standards are a priority for construction, renovation and building equipment, in order to lead the market towards energy efficiency solutions that are cost effective.

The need for better data for building products was called for, to address issues with product comparison and new technologies. Urban leaders were also urged to explore adopting new financial models and information systems to accelerate the decarbonisation of the built environment.

More information here.

More about the WSBE here.