Transforming Existing Buildings from Climate Liabilities to Climate Assets

This report by RMI examines the role of low-embodied-carbon and carbon-storing materials in deep energy retrofits to reduce total building emissions and transform existing structures into climate assets.

• Retrofitting existing buildings is significantly more carbon-efficient than new construction, emitting 50 to 75 percent less carbon for the same building. However, the report emphasizes that upfront embodied carbon from material production, transport, and installation must be managed to avoid negating the operating emissions reductions gained through retrofits.
• An analysis of 24 deep energy retrofit exterior insulation systems demonstrates that lower embodied carbon alternatives are currently available to replace traditional materials. Utilizing these or carbon-storing materials can accelerate the reduction of operating emissions and, in optimal cases, allow a building to store carbon for the remainder of its service life.
• The adoption of carbon-storing materials—such as hemp, bamboo, and straw—is critical for meeting 2030 decarbonization goals. Supporting the manufacturing of these materials can drive economic growth, create green jobs, and enable buildings to act as carbon sinks that store greenhouse gases.

APA

RMI (2023). Transforming Existing Buildings from Climate Liabilities to Climate Assets. https://rmi.org/resources/transforming-existing-buildings-from-climate-liabilities-to-climate-assets/

Chicago

RMI. Transforming Existing Buildings from Climate Liabilities to Climate Assets. 2023. https://rmi.org/resources/transforming-existing-buildings-from-climate-liabilities-to-climate-assets/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Transforming Existing Buildings from Climate Liabilities to Climate Assets |date=6 February 2023 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/transforming-existing-buildings-from-climate-liabilities-to-climate-assets/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2023transforming, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Transforming Existing Buildings from Climate Liabilities to Climate Assets}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/transforming-existing-buildings-from-climate-liabilities-to-climate-assets/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }