2020/09/01 by Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, Radhika Khosla, Rob Bernhardt +4 · 230 citations
Engineering · Environmental Science · #Architectural engineering #Building Energy and Comfort Optimization #Business #Carbon neutrality #Climate change #Ecology #Economics #Efficient energy use #Embodied energy #Engineering #Environmental Impact and Sustainability #Environmental economics #Environmental resource management #Environmental science #Greenhouse gas #Natural resource economics #Sustainable Building Design and Assessment #Zero-energy building
paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-012420-045843
published in Annual Review of Environment and Resources 45(1), 227-269 (Annual Reviews)
openalex publication_date 2020/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/21
The building sector is responsible for 39% of process-related greenhouse gas emissions globally, making net- or nearly-zero energy buildings pivotal for reaching climate neutrality. This article reviews recent advances in key options and strategies for converting the building sector to be climate neutral. The evidence from the literature shows it is possible to achieve net- or nearly-zero energy building outcomes across the world in most building types and climates with systems, technologies, and skills that already exist, and at costs that are in the range of conventional buildings. Maximizing energy efficiency for all building energy uses is found as central to net-zero targets. Jurisdictions all over the world, including Brussels, New York, Vancouver, and Tyrol, have innovated visionary policies to catalyze themarket success of such buildings, with more than 7 million square meters of nearly-zero energy buildings erected in China alone in the past few years. Since embodied carbon in building materials can consume up to a half of the remaining 1.5°C carbon budget, this article reviews recent advances to minimize embodied energy and store carbon in building materials.