About the Project

Buildings use about one-third of the world’s energy. That must stop; and business is developing a roadmap showing how to make it happen.

We want to start cutting energy use now. Buildings should put back into the system at least as much energy as they take out. Reduced energy use in buildings will lead to lower CO2 emissions and help to stabilize climate change.

Leading companies in the building, equipment and energy industries launched Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EEB) with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in March 2006.

The project, which I am heading as Director, brings together companies worldwide which are determined to remove barriers to energy-efficient concepts in new and existing buildings.

We need to start changing attitudes to energy now
A key part of the project will be frequent communication and events around the world, engaging opinion leaders and stimulating debate.

Changing the business climate
Efficient energy use matters because fossil fuels are limited, countries need energy security, and carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by burning fossil fuels appears to be changing our climate. Most of the energy used in buildings is generated by fossil fuels.

Buildings should consume zero net energy
Already one of the main users of energy, buildings are expected to consume more and more as populations grow and economies develop. The chart below (based on projections in the WBCSD’s publication Pathways to 2050: Energy and Climate Change) suggests that if energy consumption in buildings continues to rise at current rates, buildings will use almost as much energy as industry and transport combined by 2050.

But the technology exists today to prevent this from happening. There are already residential buildings around the world that generate as much energy as they use. The main obstacles to achieving our vision are market structures and practices, more than technical difficulties.

Our target is all buildings, everywhere
The EEB project will map out the transition to a 2050 world in which buildings use zero net energy. They must also be aesthetically pleasing and meet other sustainability criteria, especially for air quality, water use and economic viability. We will identify immediate steps that will begin to change the business climate that influences everyone in the buildings value chain.