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Why buildings hold the key to a low-carbon future? The GBPN provides evidence that ambitious improvements in the energy performance of buildings can reduce their CO₂ emissions by one third by 2050 and sets out the necessary steps towards a "Deep market transformation". 

Infographic: key findings from the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) for the buildings sector.

A new briefing issued today distils the key findings from the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) for the buildings sector.

“Adopting Decarbonization Policies in the Buildings and Construction Sector” provides a review of the evidence of the impact of implementing cost-effective policy measures to reduce the carbon footprint of the buildings and construction sector.

The existing residential building stock accounts for a substantial portion of worldwide energy consumption and greenhouse emissions. Improvements to the thermal performance of existing buildings is a vital activity to mitigate climate change, and often has additional benefits in the form of improved comfort, health and well-being for occupants. Despite the extensive body of literature in this area, it remains a difficult task to assess the performance of retrofit packages in occupied residential buildings.