Defining and meeting the carbon constraints of the 21st century

The magnitude and implications for the construction industry of reductions in carbon dioxide emissions that will ultimately be required globally and in industrialized countries are critically examined. As a result of the problem of climate change, these reductions are found to be in the region of 80-90% by 2050 - much larger than those presently under discussion in national and global political fora. The technological feasibility of buildings with low energy requirements and low carbon emissions suggests that existing technology is capable of delivering reductions in this range. Unfortunately, the progress that is being made at the cutting edge is, with very few exceptions, not carried over into building stocks as a whole. Regulatory, fiscal and market-based policy and strategy mechanisms for improving the performance both of new build and the existing stock are critically examined. The achievement of meaningful reductions will require a coordinated and strategic approach, which makes use of the complementarity between these mechanisms. Regulation alone, in the absence of clear and consistent price signals provided through mechanisms such as carbon taxation, is unlikely to deliver the reductions in carbon emissions that will be needed to stabilize the global atmosphere and climate.