Accelerating Urban Action for a Carbon-Free World - Actions the Building Sector Can Implement Now

We can reduce Green House Gas emissions from cities by almost 90% by 2050 by immediately taking technically feasible, widely available actions. According to UN-Habitat, the Building Sector can be responsible for 58% of these actions. We have to do more with what we have and rebuild and retrofit, rather than continue to demolish and start over. Up to a third of these emissions can come from energy efficiency measures such as equipment retrofitting and proper architectural and construction designs. With rapid urbanization, the housing sector is one of the major contributors to global climate impact because of the continued use of high embodied energy construction materials such as reinforced concrete. We must move to other options. We need to design compact, inclusive cities with streetscapes, public spaces and mixed land uses focusing on the concept of the ‘15-minute city’ – a city of neighborhoods where the majority of what we need to live, work and play is within walking distance, a short bike ride or on reliable and efficient public transportation.