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This policy brief from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines the economic and social imperatives for decarbonizing Canada's building sector. It emphasizes the need for deep energy retrofits (DERs), the adoption of higher building code standards, and innovative financing to reach net-zero targets while addressing housing affordability and public health.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines a strategy for decarbonizing Canada's building sector to reach net-zero emissions. It emphasizes the need for deep energy retrofits of the existing residential housing stock, the adoption of higher building code standards, and the implementation of innovative financing to address high upfront costs and energy poverty.

This report by RMI analyzes how updated energy efficiency standards and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax incentives can reduce energy costs for low-income Americans by encouraging the construction of high-efficiency, all-electric homes.

This case study examines the cooling access gap in Nigeria and the policy measures, such as the 2017 Nigeria Building Energy Efficiency Code, being implemented to promote sustainable cooling in buildings and cities.

This report by Energy Innovation analyzes the building sector provisions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), detailing how rebates, tax credits, and funding for building codes can accelerate decarbonization. It provides a roadmap for federal, state, and local policymakers to implement these incentives, emphasizing the need for complementary regulations—such as updated appliance standards and building codes—to overcome the challenge of slow building stock turnover and meet 2030 climate goals.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) issued a statement on March 5, 2020, urging the U.S. Senate to include building energy code provisions in the American Energy Innovation Act (S. 2657). EESI argues that omitting these provisions severely limits the bill's potential for emissions reductions and denies homeowners lower utility bills.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) supported Bogotá, Colombia, and Mérida, Mexico, in translating national energy-efficient building guidelines into mandatory local regulations through the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) program.

This executive summary by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) outlines four key insights derived from interviews with eight leading net-zero energy (NZE) home builders in the US, who collectively account for 20 percent of the country's single-family NZE homes. The document discusses the economic viability of NZE homes, strategies for customer acquisition, the impact of labor shortages on construction methods, and the risk-mitigation benefits of building high-performance homes.

The Cooling for All Policy Review, published by Sustainable Energy for All in March 2018, examines the global landscape of cooling policies, focusing on Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners and refrigerators, building efficiency codes, urban heat island mitigation, and cold chain infrastructure.

This insight brief by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that Residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (R-PACE) financing can accelerate the adoption of net-zero energy (NZE) new construction in the United States. By attaching financing to the property rather than the owner, R-PACE addresses key market barriers such as high up-front capital costs and the split incentive between builders and homebuyers.

This briefing outlines key insights and guiding principles for improving air quality in China, developed during a September 2014 workshop in Beijing. It proposes a framework based on ten guiding principles, fiscal policy alignment, robust management systems, full enforcement of laws, and targeted sectoral policies to reduce both air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

This 2014 Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape analyzes the energy efficiency sector in South Africa, focusing on standards, legislation, financial incentives, and specific markets including solar water heaters, energy-saving lighting, and embedded generation.

The Greencape Market Intelligence Report 2014: Energy Efficiency analyzes the state of energy efficiency in South Africa, focusing on legislative standards, financial incentives, and specific technology markets including solar water heaters (SWH), energy-saving lighting, and embedded generation.

This research paper by Ellen Vaughan and Jim Turner argues that mandatory, minimum building codes are the most effective and least expensive method to protect public health, safety, and the environment. The authors advocate for the adoption and enforcement of current model codes—specifically those updated every three years—to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and vulnerability to natural disasters while stimulating economic innovation in the building sector.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates the effectiveness of residential building energy codes in the United States from 1986 to 2008. Using econometric analysis of state-level energy consumption data, the study finds that building energy codes are associated with a reduction in primary energy use and greenhouse gas emissions per household, while also influencing fuel choice by shifting consumption toward natural gas and away from other fuels like fuel oil.

This briefing note from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment argues for the removal of natural gas from British Columbia's buildings to meet climate targets and protect public health. It advocates for updating the Building Code and BC Energy Step Code to prohibit new gas connections and establish deadlines for existing buildings to transition to clean energy.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute outlines the economic, environmental, and health benefits of implementing energy efficiency policies in Texas, specifically focusing on cost savings and pollution reduction by 2030.

This fact sheet from Energy Innovation outlines how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides foundational support for decarbonizing the United States building sector through rebates, tax credits, and funding for building codes, while emphasizing the need for complementary state, local, and Tribal government actions to ensure successful implementation.

This policy brief from RMI outlines the role of policymakers in reducing embodied carbon in the built environment, emphasizing the use of regulations, incentives, and standards to drive private-sector reductions and stimulate market demand for low-carbon materials.