Overlooked heroes that can help us combat climate change — sustainable buildings
You are probably wondering, buildings? heroes? No way.
Why should we even care about buildings?
While many might look at a building and see only an inanimate structure, we look at buildings and see both the physicality and the process by which they are created — an opportunity to not only save energy, water and carbon emissions but to educate, create jobs, strengthen communities, improve health and wellbeing…Green building is a true catalyst for addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues. — World Green Building Council
Buildings have a huge impact on people, our environment, and the economy. We spend nearly 90% of our time inside buildings. A shocking statistic that might not seem accurate at first, but when we evaluate our routines, we come to realize that it is true. This means that buildings strongly influence our health and well being. Indoor air quality, buildings and construction materials, daylight, and temperature are some of the parameters that influence the way we work, play and rest.
That’s not all. Globally, buildings contribute to approximately 40% of greenhouse gas emissions leading to climate change. If we don’t adapt to new and sustainable technologies in the building life cycle, then, according to the United Nations Environment Program, this number will double by 2050.
So, what are Sustainable Buildings?
Keeping in with the original definition of sustainable development, and looking at it in relation to buildings, it is not only concerned with environmental friendliness.
It’s about whether we can sustain our way of life, and the step changes in life quality and expectancy we have enjoyed during the era of fossil fuels. (Kara Rosemeier)
The term sustainable building refers to the structure and processes of a building that are environmentally friendly and resource-efficient throughout its life cycle — from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and even down to demolition.
In this new definition, a sustainable building is one that allows us the quality of life we need to thrive as human beings in a world that can no longer afford to burn stuff.
Any building has the potential to be a green building, whether it be a home, office, school, hospital, or large skyscraper.
The World Green Building Council has developed a list of different elements and features that define the priorities for sustainable buildings.
- Efficient use of water, energy and other resources
- Use of renewable resources, e.g. solar/hydropower
- Pollution and waste reduction methods — increased recycling and reusing
- Good indoor environmental air quality
- Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable
- Consideration of the environment in design, construction and operation
- Consideration of the quality of life of occupants in design, construction and operation
- A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment
We know what sustainable buildings are and why they are important. Still not convinced? Are you thinking, Why should I make all these changes to my home? Well, look no further. Green buildings have many benefits that widely impact our comfort and the environment around us.
See how cultivating a sustainable mindset supports the interconnected goals of creating environmental, social and financial value.
Benefits of Sustainable Buildings
The benefits of green buildings can be categorized into three sections — environmental, economic, and social.
ENVIRONMENTAL
One of the most important types of benefit green buildings can offer is to our climate and natural environment. Not only do green buildings help in minimizing or even removing negative effects on the environment by lessening the usage of water, energy, and natural resources, but they can also create a positive impact on the environment by producing their own energy and increasing biodiversity. The main environmental benefits of green buildings include:
- Maximizes energy and water efficiency
- Minimizes waste
- Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems
- Conserve and restore natural resources
Examples:
- Globally, buildings have the largest potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to other major emitting sectors — UNEP, 2009
- Buildings that have achieved the Green Start certification in Australia have shown to produce 62% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than average buildings.
- Green buildings that have achieved the LEED certification in the US and other countries have been shown to consume 25% less energy and 11% less water, than non-green buildings.
ECONOMICAL
Green buildings offer many economical and financial benefits which are in consideration of different individuals or groups of individuals. Economical benefits of sustainable buildings include:
- Reduced operating costs
- Enhance asset value and profits
- Optimize life-cycle economic performance
- Increased job creation
Examples:
- Canada’s green building industry generated $23.45 billion in GDP and represented nearly 300,000 full-time jobs in 2014 — Canada Green Building Council / The Delphi Group, 2016.
- Green buildings are projected to account for more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs by 2018 — US Green Building Council / Booz Allen Hamilton, 2015.
- Building owners report that green buildings, new or renovated, command a 7% increase in asset value over traditional buildings — Dodge Data & Analytics, 2016.
SOCIAL
Sustainable building benefits go far beyond just positively impacting the environment and economical sector. They have been shown to bring positive social benefits as well. Many of these advantages include the health and well-being of individuals working in green workplaces or living in green homes.
- Enhance occupant health and comfort
- Improve indoor air quality
- Minimize strain on local utility infrastructure
- Improve overall quality of life
Examples:
- Workers in green, well-ventilated offices record a 101% increase in cognitive scores (brain function) — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health / Syracuse University Center of Excellence / SUNY Upstate Medical School, 2015.
- Employees in offices with windows slept an average of 46 minutes more per night — American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2013.
- Research suggests that better indoor air quality (low concentrations of CO2 and pollutants, and high ventilation rates) can lead to improvements in performance of up to 8% — Park and Yoon, 2011.
Green buildings also offer many different hidden benefits… Particularly in office buildings where employers are on a never-ending quest to attract, engage and retain talent. Learn more about how ‘green buildings’ attract, engage and retain talent.
How do we build more of these sustainable buildings?
When we talk about making homes and buildings more sustainable, the first thing that often comes to mind is covering the building in plants. No, you do not have to cover your home/building in plants, but if you want to, of course, go for it! There are many different solutions and processes that we can implement to make our homes and buildings more sustainable.
When discussing how we can make more buildings green, we can approach the topic from different perspectives including constructional and social.
In terms of the constructional aspect, there are several ways we can make buildings, including homes, more sustainable. Here are some ideas as per the World Green Building Council that can be implemented so that you can be one step closer to a sustainable building/home. More information can be found here.
- Taking an intelligent approach to energy
- Safeguarding water resources
- Minimizing waste and maximizing reuse
- Promoting health and wellbeing
- Keeping our environment green
- Considering all stages of a building’s life-cycle
Yes, these methods are long term and require commitment. Yes, they are all mainly focused on large building owners. So, what can you do right now to make your home sustainable?
- Install double-glazed windows: This helps insulate your home, making it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, allowing for minimum energy usage.
- Choose appliances that are more energy efficient: It is highly beneficial for a sustainable home to replace standard electrical appliances with energy-saving certified ones.
- Use eco-paints: They help to minimize indoor air pollution and require fewer toxins to manufacture.
- Invest in plants: Not only do they make your home more beautiful, but they also create a sustainable environment and act as natural air purifiers.
- Have a compost bin in your kitchen: Composting keeps household waste out of landfills and creates a nutrient-rich additive for your plants.
These were some constructional and operational changes that can be implemented to make large buildings and homes more sustainable. But all of these efforts require social aspects so that we can really see a global impact.
COLLABORATION
If we want to build more green buildings, we have to put in more collaborative efforts and start new partnerships across the value chain. This is specifically important because when leaders and innovators from all over the world give input and add value, we can come up with more creative and innovative ideas that can help us not only improve sustainability in relation to buildings but also help combat real-world issues such as climate change.
Speaking of climate change, let’s go back to the original question — how do buildings help combat climate change? Are they really overlooked heroes? or just another “potential solution”?
Sustainable buildings + Climate change
Green buildings eliminate waste from landfills, make alternative use of transport and promote the preservation and development of vegetated land and roofs.
Highly sustainable buildings, especially LEED-certified buildings, provide the means to reduce the climate impacts of buildings and their inhabitants.
LEED Certification
The LEED certification, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized symbol of sustainable achievement. The certification provides framework to create, healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. Buildings that are LEED certified are increasingly efficient. They consume on average 25% less energy and 11% less water than non-green buildings.
All of the strategies and ideas presented above can be a part of the solution in combating climate change.
Sustainable Development Goals
Furthermore, green buildings are contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in a number of ways.
Gain more insight into each of these goals and the contributions of green buildings in relation to them here.
My Personal Note
The idea of sustainable buildings is often overlooked. What we don’t realize is that the building sector has the LARGEST potential to reduce pollution impacts and contribute to a cleaner climate. Fortunately, there is lots of information and resources invested into the well-being of our environment in relation to buildings and I am amazed at the work that is being put in to encourage sustainability throughout a building’s life cycle. There are also different processes and innovations that we can alter and add to our homes that will make them more sustainable. All in all, the building sector has made many advancements and is continuing to make a difference in combating climate change.
In the near future, I hope to learn more, share my insights and contribute to making a difference in the sector that has the largest potential to combat climate change.
Resources
If you found this topic just as intriguing as I did, here are some resources where you can expand your knowledge, develop your inquiry-based mindset, and make an impact:
- LinkedIn Online Course: Stay Ahead in Sustainability and Green Building Learning Path
- Coursera Online Course: Renewable energy and Green Building Entrepreneurship
- EDx Online Course: Sustainable Building Design
- TEDx Talk: Green buildings are more than brick and mortar
- Book: Natural Design, Organic Architecture: Lessons for Building Green from an American Original by Frank Lloyd Wright
- Book: The Eco House Book by Terence Conran
- Article: 10 of the world’s most sustainable buildings
An improved indoor climate, efficient resource use, innovative platforms and solutions can help cities and countries drastically improve the effects of climate change. It is for us, together, to create this change that we all want to see.
By building green, we can reduce the impact our buildings have on contributing to climate change while also building resilience into our homes and communities.
Thank you for reading!
