Call for Action on Building and Climate Change

The recent (3rd to 6th March) 2009 Climate Change Response Policy Development Summit, held in Midrand, included a “Call for Action” in the building industry.

Few people realise that there is a large volume of research that shows that the buildings we live and work in, are a huge contributor to the global environmental crisis.

“Buildings and their construction account for nearly half of all the greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumed in this country (USA) each year. Globally, the percentage is even greater.”

South Africa, is not very different, with the buildings we occupy being responsible for approximately 22% of total greenhouse gas emissions in SA, and a further 5% for the production of building materials and 5% for the construction of the buildings. That’s a total of 32% of SA’s greenhouse gas emissions. The building industry therefore has the greatest potential of any industrial sector for delivering significant emission reductions. Add to this, the opportunity to create “green jobs”, the opportunity to start generating energy rather than just using it and the potential cost savings (as energy prices continue to skyrocket).

The building industry stakeholders who attended the Climate Change Response Policy Development Summit, made a call for action. This included that the National Climate Change Response Policy prioritising the building sector as fundamental to achieving significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, as well as providing support and investment incentives for building projects that reduce or eliminate emissions and improve the energy efficiency in existing buildings and new construction.

In order to achieve this, the building industry want to reform the Cleaner Development Mechanism to encourage investment, and want a mandate to develop specific measures for the building sector to achieve the above goals.

In short, the building industry realises that they have a major role to play in the environmental crisis and wants to clean up its act, but requires the platform to do so.

Some Inspiration: Disneynature's "Oceans"

If you need convincing as to the need for protecting the environment, take a quick look at Disney's upcoming movie in celebration of earthday 2010:



This follows on from the recently released movie "earth":

Enjoy!