Resilient, Carbon-Free Buildings Are Within Reach

The briefing advocates for a coordinated approach to building decarbonization and resilience in the US, emphasizing that these goals are complementary. It specifically prioritizes 'passive measures'—such as weatherization and envelope retrofits—to manage peak electricity demand, improve energy affordability, and extend the 'hours of safety' for occupants during power outages, particularly for vulnerable populations.

• Building construction and operations are a critical sector for decarbonization as they account for 35 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
• Prioritizing passive measures can mitigate the surge in peak electricity demand caused by electrification. In New York State, combining residential envelope retrofits with electrification could reduce projected peak electricity demand growth by 27 percent by 2050 compared to electrification alone.
• Passive measures enhance the ability of occupants to shelter in place during power outages, potentially extending the duration of safe indoor conditions by up to 140 percent during extreme heat and 120 percent during extreme cold in existing buildings.
• Climate-driven power outages and extreme weather events disproportionately impact vulnerable groups, including the elderly, those with health conditions, and low-income, Black, and Hispanic households.

APA

RMI (2024). Resilient, Carbon-Free Buildings Are Within Reach. https://rmi.org/resources/resilient-carbon-free-buildings-are-within-reach/

Chicago

RMI. Resilient, Carbon-Free Buildings Are Within Reach. 2024. https://rmi.org/resources/resilient-carbon-free-buildings-are-within-reach/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Resilient, Carbon-Free Buildings Are Within Reach |date=22 October 2024 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/resilient-carbon-free-buildings-are-within-reach/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2024resilient, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Resilient, Carbon-Free Buildings Are Within Reach}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/resilient-carbon-free-buildings-are-within-reach/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }