Climate 2030

The report identifies energy efficiency as the most cost-effective strategy for cutting U.S. carbon emissions, focusing on the industrial and building sectors which together account for two-thirds of U.S. carbon emissions. It details technical opportunities such as combined-heat-and-power (CHP) systems, building envelope improvements, and high-efficiency appliances. The document proposes a 'Blueprint' of policies—including efficiency standards, resource standards (EERS), and updated building codes—that could reduce total U.S. energy consumption by 29 percent by 2030. It highlights that while technical potential is high, barriers such as 'split incentives' and high up-front costs persist, requiring coordinated federal and state intervention.

• The industrial and building sectors are the primary drivers of global warming in the United States, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all U.S. energy consumption and two-thirds of all U.S. carbon emissions.
• The industrial sector is the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy and the second-largest consumer of coal, with over 25 percent of total U.S. CO2 emissions originating from this sector, including its electricity use.
• Combined-heat-and-power (CHP) systems can reach efficiencies of up to 80 percent, significantly higher than the 33 percent average for fossil-fueled power plants. The total technical potential for CHP is estimated at 132,000 megawatts for industrial facilities and 77,000 megawatts for the commercial sector.
• In residential and commercial buildings, heating and cooling are the largest energy consumers, with up to 30 percent of that energy lost due to leaks in the building envelope.
• Technical potential for reducing energy use through efficiency measures is estimated at 18–36 percent for electricity and 38–47 percent for natural gas across all sectors.
• Implementation costs for energy efficiency measures are generally lower than the retail price of electricity, with a median cost of 3.0 cents per kilowatt-hour saved compared to an average retail price of 9.1 cents per kilowatt-hour.
• Significant market barriers hinder efficiency adoption, most notably the 'split incentive,' where builders or landlords have little motivation to invest in efficiency because the energy savings benefit the buyers or tenants.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (n.d.). Climate 2030. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/climate-2030-roadmap-chapter-4-1.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Climate 2030. n.d. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/climate-2030-roadmap-chapter-4-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Climate 2030 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/climate-2030-roadmap-chapter-4-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientistsndclimate, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Climate 2030}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/climate-2030-roadmap-chapter-4-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }