As anyone who has ever paid an energy bill knows, our homes and buildings use a lot of energy. And in most cases today, that means using fossil fuels. In 2021, buildings were responsible for nearly one-third of global energy use. 

We can use less energy in our buildings in lots of ways. One is smart design: insulation and high-performance windows and doors prevent wasteful heat loss, automatic lighting and heating turn systems off when they aren’t needed. ‘Green roofs’ are covered in plants to help keep buildings warm, and also increase local biodiversity. ‘Cool roofs’ reflect sunlight, keeping buildings cool in hotter climates. 

We can also take the fossil fuels out of our homes and buildings by installing solar panels and hot water heaters, or heat pumps, which bring heat from the air or ground outside into your home.

Producing, processing and transporting the materials used to build a structure also produces greenhouse gas emissions. This can be around half of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a new building in the UK, for example. In some cases we might not need a new building at all, and instead we could upgrade, refurbish or use an existing space more efficiently, avoiding demolition and the need for new materials. If we do need a new structure, we can reuse the materials from deconstructed buildings and structure, like bricks and beams, or use sustainably-sourced timber and other natural products that produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional concrete and steel construction. This is a huge design challenge and opportunity for engineers, architects and other design professionals.

When you take this action, increase your Energy Demand by 1 and remove 1 Buildings Emissions token from your player board.
You may take this action once per Innovation tag in this card's stack each round.

• Zero Energy Buildings Resource Hub (US Department of Energy)

• Zero Energy Building (Wikipedia)

• IEA Buildings Sector Overview

• Net Zero Buildings (Project Drawdown) 

• Embodied Carbon Primer (London Energy Transformation Initiative, LETI)

• Invest in money-saving measures to reduce energy use in your own home, like insulation, smart meters and double glazing.

• Campaign for your local building regulations to require all new buildings to be built according to science-based whole life carbon standards and other socially just measures

• Find a building in your community that includes energy efficiency, wildlife or renewable energy features and shine a light on it through social media.