AIA 2030 Commitment By the Numbers: Introduction

[{"body":{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/www.fedcenter.gov\/programs\/eo14057\/","target","_new"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/nationalbpscoalition.org\/#:~:text=About%20the%20National%20BPS%20Coalition,and%20programs%20in%20their%20jurisdictions.","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/house-bill\/5376","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/report\/ar6\/wg1\/","target","_new"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/report\/ar6\/wg2\/","target","_new"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/report\/ar6\/wg3\/","target","_new"]]],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"2021: the slog "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to cast\nits pall over our day-to-day lives and the global economy."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Despite obstacles, architects pushed forward with their clients, continuing to achieve higher-performing and lower-carbon designs. In 2021, the 20,652 projects reported achieved an overall 50.3% reduction in predicted energy use intensity (pEUI). The overall 50.3% pEUI reduction is slightly lower than the 51.3% reduction in 2020 but represents a strong overall trajectory, increasing from 35% in 2010. "]]],[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"Supply-chain disruptions "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The global supply chain has become unpredictable, and prices are volatile. Acquiring materials at the right time and the right price is vital to building industry success, and firms are finding this harder and harder to do. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Inflation, a worldwide phenomenon facing the industry, has complex causes that include but aren\u0027t limited to the pandemic. Amid soaring costs, architects are learning to work within even tighter budgets, which can make certain sustainable design features, like photovoltaics, more challenging to use. Despite this, 6.8% of projects that 2030 Commitment signatories reported in 2021 including renewable energy, the majority generating energy through on-site solar photovoltaics. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Some sustainable design features, like robust envelopes that reduce peak loads and thus the size of the mechanical system, can ease first costs. "]]],[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"The political landscape "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Although there were political setbacks in 2021, the Biden-Harris administration took strides to reduce building emissions and create more sustainable and resilient federal infrastructure. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Last year, a new 2021 rule required phaseout of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are highly potent greenhouse gases used as blowing agents for foam insulation and as refrigerants in mechanical systems. Additionally, President Biden signed an "],[0,[0],1,"executive order"],[0,[],0," requiring a carbon-neutral federal government by 2050. The order includes carbon-free electricity purchases by 2030, net zero carbon operations of buildings by 2045, and procurement of net zero carbon building materials by 2050. The administration has also launched the "],[0,[1],1,"National Building Performance Standards Coalition, "],[0,[],0,"drawing upon the momentum of local and state governments to use design and building performance to address climate change. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Most notably has been the recent passing of the "],[0,[2],1,"Inflation Reduction Act of 2022"],[0,[],0,", the largest governmental climate investment. This includes incentives for clean energy, electric vehicle tax breaks, and pollution reduction measures. Altogether, the political landscape has continued to move forward with the pressing need for climate action, bringing forth the role of the built environment to reduce emissions and impact critical change. "]]],[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"A call to action "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In 2021 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the "],[0,[3],1,"\u0022code red\u0022 report"],[0,[],0,". "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u0022The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable, \u0022 wrote UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres.\n\u201cGreenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are\nchoking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Climate change is already devastating humanity with impacts that include more frequent and more extreme heat waves, flooding, droughts, and wildfires, according to a "],[0,[4],1,"second IPCC report"],[0,[],0," assessing global warming impacts and vulnerabilities. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"But in a "],[0,[5],1,"third report"],[0,[],0,", the IPCC gave us hope, encouraging \u0022concrete actions aligning sustainable development and climate mitigation\u0022 - something all architects can be a part of, including the more than 56,000 professionals employed at over 1,100 2030 Commitment signatory firms. "]]]]},"title":"Introduction"},{"title":"Our Paths Forward","body":{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/pages\/6464938-the-aia-2030-commitment","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Net zero carbon has been the ambitious goal of\nthe 2030 Commitment from day one, but it was framed exclusively in terms of\noperational energy until 2020. Over the past two years, the program has taken\nmeasures to help ensure we\u2019re focusing not just on operational energy, but also\nmore holistically on buildings\u2019 life cycle of greenhouse gas emissions."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In 2021, 417 companies reported on 3.6 billion\nsquare feet across 106 countries via the DDx. These projects translate to an\noverall 50.3% predicted energy use intensity (pEUI) reduction for whole\nbuildings and a 32.5% reduction in predicted lighting power density for\ninterior-only projects."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Although pEUI remains the primary metric for\nwhole buildings, the DDx now supports options to track embodied carbon and pEUI\nby fuel source. For projects reporting pEUI by fuel source, the DDx provides\nfirms with insight into total estimated emissions intensity. By tracking these\noptional metrics, architects can start to expand their understanding of the\ncarbon footprint, not just the energy performance, of the buildings they are\ndesigning."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Many universities and Fortune 500 companies have\nalready made their own climate commitments and are asking for low- or no-carbon\noperations. This is happening in response to both climate risks and the\nincreasing financial risks of investing in fossil energy, leading companies to\nthe increasingly include climate-related risks in their financial disclosures.\nTheir leadership has started a movement. Do we as a profession have the\nknowledge and resolve to deliver what the market is increasingly demanding?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"We\u2019ve heard success stories from firms that are\nconsistently hitting the 2030 Commitment\u2019s current 80% reduction target across\ntheir portfolios, as well as from those who are making meaningful improvements.\nBased on their achievements, we\u2019ve identified five core strategies that can\nhelp you successfully push your firm and the industry toward zero carbon:"]]],[3,"ol",[[[0,[],0,"Model building energy use at multiple design stages to keep the team focused throughout the process on passive design strategies and other energy-efficiency measures. "]],[[0,[],0,"Transition away from fossil fuels through building electrification "]],[[0,[],0,"Use either on-site and\/or off-site renewable energy. "]],[[0,[],0,"Reduce the embodied carbon of buildings to help mitigate the upfront emissions caused by the manufacture of building materials. "]],[[0,[],0,"Measure energy performance post-occupancy to verify assumptions and learn lessons for next time. "]]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"If your firm haven\u0027t already signed onto the 2030 Commitment, learn more about joining fellow 1,100+ signatories "],[0,[0],1,"here"],[0,[],0,". Let\u2019s take a deeper look at these core strategies and how 2030\nCommitment signatories are successfully adopting them. "]]]]}}]