Buildings in the U.S. are a major contributor to climate change. The operation of buildings, heating, cooling, lighting, and hot water account for 43% of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, and 76% of all U.S. electricity consumption, according to Architecture 2030, a non-profit organization created by architect, Edward Mazria in 2002.

Architecture 2030 created the 2030 Challenge which calls for a 50 reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all new buildings and major renovations by 2010. The 2030 Challenge also calls for an increasing reduction of both GHG emissions and energy consumption in increments every five years so all new buildings will be carbon neutral by 2030.

Every year, five billion square feet are built, five billion square feet are renovated, and 1.75 billion square feet of buildings are demolished. Three-quarters of buildings in the U.S. will be either new or renovated by 2038.

The 2030 Challenge serves as a guide for all cities, counties, and states in the U.S. to quickly reduce their GHG emissions and energy use through current building codes. Part of the 2030 Challenge are "code equivalents" which are "additional reductions needed beyond the requirements of a particular code, standard or rating system to meet or exceed the initial 50 percent target of the 2030 Challenge," according to the whitepaper called Meeting the 2030 Challenge Through Building Codes (pdf), released in June. The code equivalents "can be easily incorporated into existing codes by ordinance."

"By comparing current building codes to the level of greenhouse gas reductions called for by the global scientific community to stem global warming, Architecture 2030 has taken a giant step toward delivering those very reductions," said Ken Colburn (pdf), Senior Consultant for the Center for Climate Strategies, a non-profit organization.

Executive director of Architecture 2030, Edward Mazria said (pdf), "Meeting reduction targets through existing codes is the critical ‘missing piece' to getting major reductions underway immediately." 

The Challenge calls for new buildings to be designed in such a way that they cut fossil fuel energy in half, and existing buildings renovated annually to cut their fossil fuel energy in half. The Challenge also calls for the "fossil fuel reduction standard" for new buildings increase to 60% by 2010, 70% by 2015, 80% by 2020, 90% by 2025, and using no fossil fuels that emit GHG emissions by 2030.

"We recommend the fossil fuel reduction targets be achieved through design, the application of renewable energy technologies and/or the purchase of renewable energy (20% maximum)," the whitepaper The 2030 Blueprint: Solving Climate Change Saves Billions (pdf) states.

The 2030 Challenge recommends (pdf) the following plan of action be implemented:

1. Implement an immediate moratorium on the construction of any new conventional coal plants, and the gradual phasing out of all existing conventional coal plants by 2030 to: place an immediate cap on coal plant emissions while allowing time to retrain coal workers for new jobs.
2. Require that all developments using federal funds meet the 2030 Challenge targets to create additional models of building energy efficiency for the marketplace.
3. Upgrade the National Energy Conservation Code Standard to the 2030 Challenge targets for residential and commercial buildings to immediately stabilize and begin reducing energy demand in the Building Sector.
4. Invest $21.6 billion each year for five years in building energy efficiency measures through existing federal programs (i.e. New Markets Tax Credits; Low Income Housing Tax Credits; a five-year extension and increased funding for efficiency in the Energy Policy Act) and new energy efficiency incentives, tax credits and programs to:
   • stimulate building construction
   • reduce annual Building Sector energy consumption by 5 QBtu
   • reduce annual U.S. CO2 emissions by 433.5 MMT
   • save consumers $128 billion (which more than covers the cost of this solution), and
   • create more than one million permanent new jobs
5. Fund and implement a joint labor-management job training program for displaced coal industry jobs based on successful models developed over the past two decades in the tire/rubber, steel, automobile and communications industries.

The Challenge has been adopted by the American Institute of Architects, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, U.S. Green Building Council, National Association of Counties, California Public Utilities and Energy Commissions, and individual cities, counties and states. In January, part of the Energy Bill passed by Congress and signed by the President requires all new and renovated federal buildings to incorporate the Challenge targets, starting in 2010.

Further Reading:

• The Financial Benefits of Building Green
• Interview with Tom Rand of Hotel Diaries - Celsias Project of the Month
• What's the Greenest Building of Them All?
• Greening the Schoolhouse
• Solar Panels... Good for Real Estate?
• Five One-Stop Shops for Greening Your Home
• Green Building Can Stop Climate Change
• Two States of Green Building