Canada’s Green Buildings Strategy, announced on August 17, couldn’t have come at a more opportune time — just a day after the US President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Canadian bill seeks to mobilize national action to reduce emissions by 37 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, and create a net-zero-emissions buildings sector by 2050.
The IRA, which includes an unprecedented USD 369.75-billion investment commitment into clean energy and climate, has a direct impact on the construction industry as well. Other than new and expanded green building tax incentives, approximately USD 5 billion has been earmarked for programs to accelerate the construction industry’s shift toward green building materials.
But why are we excited about it?
The reason is obvious: precise geospatial data and advanced technologies such as BIM and Digital Twin are at the heart of a green building.
Granted, BIM has been around for decades now, and city planners and the AEC industry have long used it to design, build and operate buildings. But now, technologies such as Digital Twin are making BIM models more smart and sophisticated.
Since a Digital Twin essentially means a digital reproduction of a physical entity, stakeholders can model the real-time status of the construction sites, review working conditions, position physical assets, and even simulate ‘what if’ scenarios. Furthermore, technological advancements such as connected construction – aided by real-time sensors – Big Data and Cloud are revolutionizing the way we design, build, operate and maintain not only our buildings, but even communities and entire cities.
The USGBC (US Green Building Council) spells out four crucial steps for reaching zero carbon for the building sector
- Focus on the full life cycle of a building
- Measure carbon use
- Ensure technology and workforce growth
- Harness policy and create collective motivation
A look at the first three makes it clear why geospatial is integral to a green building strategy. USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program is considered the international symbol of sustainability and green building leadership.
The move towards green buildings is not new. However, it’s only now that governments are mandating it. And it makes perfect sense as buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of global energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gas emissions.
China, the largest building construction market in the world, was one of the first countries to adopt a green building strategy, with a green building mandate for government projects, and subsidizing their promotion.
The European Green Deal Package, announced in July 2021, aims to reduce emissions in the building sector by at least 60% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Earlier, in January 2021, the United Kingdom announced rigorous new targets for green building revolution to drastically reduce emissions in buildings.
At a time when the chorus for reducing emissions is getting louder, green buildings will play a major role in overall emission reduction and sustainable transformation of our cities.
Disclaimer: Views Expressed are Author's Own. Geospatial World May or May Not Endorse it
