Green buildings can stop global warming. Marketers, pay attention!
The McKinsey Consultants report, “A Cost Curve for Greenhouse Gas Reduction” shows that green building measures such as greater building envelope energy efficiency, more efficient lighting, etc., can supply up to 25% of the carbon reductions needed to slow global warming, with a net POSITIVE life-cycle cost. Marketers of green buildings should pay attention!
The McKinsey Quarterly, Number 1 issue in 2007, shows the potential for abatement of carbon emissions beyond the “business as usual” case, to be both cost-effective and effective in reducing a large amount of carbon emissions. That’s a “win-win” scenario for both green building advocates and for the planet! The study examined all technologies with a potential to reduce carbon emissions for less than about $50 (40 Euros) per ton. Such measures as wind power have a real cost, while building energy efficiency measures such as added insulation are the MOST cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions. Other measures that are effective are so mundane that you wonder why we’re not doing them as standard practice: more efficient water heating and HVAC systems, more efficient lighting and better glazing. The business case for green buildings get more compelling each year! Green building marketers and green building consultants should take notice and start being more aggressive in their promotion of such building efficiency measures.
Posted by on 03/24/2007 at 11:47 AM
