Search Climate Insights Directory

The document outlines Manitoba's current emissions profile, the shortcomings of its previous 'Beyond Kyoto' plan, and the goals for a new integrated approach to climate mitigation and adaptation. It emphasizes the role of the energy and building sectors in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience to extreme weather. The paper also reviews climate policies in other Canadian jurisdictions and proposes guiding principles for the new provincial strategy, including the development of mandatory GHG reporting for large emitters.

The document highlights the inefficiency of the United States' building stock, which consumes 42 percent of the nation's total energy, and promotes five strategic solutions—technology adoption, integrative design, policy updates, low-cost financing, and valuing non-energy benefits—to achieve deep energy retrofits and support a cleaner electricity grid.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) promotes climate-resilient infrastructure to prevent cascading failures caused by extreme weather and to reduce emissions from cement and steel production. GCF employs six core principles, including the use of nature-based solutions and systemic risk assessments, to unlock public and private capital. Current initiatives include developing valuation methodologies for nature-based solutions in Jamaica, strengthening infrastructure pipelines in Ghana, hurricane-proofing buildings in Antigua and Barbuda, and financing an electric Light Rail Transit system in Costa Rica.

The Green Economy Strategy Framework for the Western Cape focuses on driving business opportunity and investment to become the "lowest carbon province & leading green economic hub of the African continent". Key priorities include renewable energy, where 60% of the 64 REIPPP projects were developed by Western Cape-based developers, and the Atlantis SEZ, which attracted Gestamp with a R220 million investment expected to create 200 permanent jobs. The framework also highlights the WISP initiative, which completed 11 business synergies in six months, and special initiatives such as the Better Living Challenge, a GREEN Finance Support facility, and RIA Waste to support green job creation.

The document highlights how current life cycle assessments (LCA) in the Canadian built environment can mislead decision-makers due to data gaps and a lack of transparency. It specifically notes that LCAs often ignore biogenic carbon emissions from wood products—which can account for up to 72% of a product's total life cycle emissions—and overlook regional variations in material production and disposal. The briefing recommends that the federal government invest in updated regional and national LCA inventories and prioritizes energy efficiency and material longevity as the primary drivers for decarbonizing buildings.

The document outlines the impact of the built environment on global emissions and provides a framework for designers to reduce embodied carbon. It emphasizes that the most cost-effective interventions occur early in the design phase and suggests five key strategies: collaborative design, effective design (including adaptive reuse), efficient design, low-carbon material selection, and designing for longevity.

Buildings contribute at least 39% of annual global energy-related carbon emissions, with at least 25% of those coming from embodied carbon in materials and construction. The document outlines five policy strategies—procurement policy, climate action plans, building codes, low-carbon design, and design for longevity—to stimulate market demand for low-carbon solutions without increasing construction costs or government spending.

The document explains that buildings contribute at least 39% of annual global energy-related carbon emissions, with at least one-quarter of those stemming from embodied carbon associated with materials and construction. It argues that developers can reduce these emissions by prioritizing the reuse of existing buildings over new construction and by setting clear environmental goals for project teams. To balance financial returns with environmental certifications, the text recommends six strategies: building less (prioritizing redevelopment), building collaboratively (using LCAs and inventories), building for longevity (adaptability and deconstruction), following data (requesting EPDs), reducing waste, and considering carbon offsetting.

The document outlines the career of Kirsten, a Climate Change Consultant at a global sustainable development firm. Her work focuses on providing strategic climate advice, contributing to Environmental Impact Assessments, and utilizing carbon management tools to achieve whole life carbon reduction in the built environment. She holds an MA in Geography and an MSc in Carbon Management, and she emphasizes the importance of working for organizations that share her ethics and morals to create meaningful change.