First Edition - Incorporating fundable buildings sector Green House Gas (GHG) emission mitigation actions in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) The buildings sector contributes nearly 40% to global energy-related annual GHG emissions (IEA/UNEP, 2018).
Final energy demand from buildings is predicted to increase 50% by 2050 compared with 2015 levels under business as usual scenarios due to rapid urbanization and the doubling of the built surface area. Effective decarbonization of the buildings sector is therefore critical to meeting the Paris Agreement Goals and exceeding the current level of ambition in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Only one-hundred and thirty-six (136) parties have referenced action required by the buildings and/or construction sector in their NDCs. Very few building sector actions included in these NDCs specify mitigation targets, and if fully implemented, currently cover only about 60% of building related GHG emissions (IEA/UNEP, 2018). Very few actions describe targets to move to carbon neutral or net-zero energy building performance, which is necessary for the sector to be on a below 2oC pathway. Nor do they commonly communicate the potential co-benefits of proposed actions. This guide is designed to address the urgent need for further extending the scope and ambition of building sector actions in NDCs, the opportunities for aligning with commitments made by non-party actors, and the renewed support for successively increasing ambition and implementing actions of NDCs. The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) and the United Nations Environment Programme gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) of the Federal Republic of Germany.
