Green Buildings Critical to Cutting Global Energy Demand Growth, New Report Says

The McKinsey Quarterly reports that improving energy productivity with cost-effective green building measures could cut global demand by residential and commerical buildings by 20 percent by 2020. 

According to the July 2007 McKinsey Quarterly, residential and commercial buildings worldwide represent 35 percent of end-use energy demand. Using available technology, cost-effective measures found in all green buildings could reduce demand by 21 percent in the residential sector and 20 percent in the commercial sector. Because 75 percent of the projected growth in demand will come from the developing world (nearly half from China alone), tranferring green building and energy-efficient building methods to this sector is critical to controlling carbon dioxide emissions from energy production and use. In the residential sector, simple measures such as building insulation and energy-efficient large appliances can help stem the tide of ever-rising energy use. But market forces alone will not produce this result: some form of government incentives and financial aid will be required.

Posted by on 08/07/2007 at 08:10 PM