June 16, 2006—At its National Convention and Design Expo, The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced that the US Conference of Mayors voted to unanimously approve the resolution “Adopting the 2030 Challenge for All Buildings.”
Sponsored by the mayors of Chicago, Seattle, Miami, and Albuquerque, the resolution was prompted by the AIA position statement that calls for the immediate energy reduction of all new and renovated buildings to one-half the national average for that building type, with increased reductions of ten percent every five years so that all buildings designed by the year 2030 will be carbon neutral meaning that they will use no fossil fuel energy.
The mayors also passed a resolution titled, “Establishing a New Municipal Energy Agenda to Help Address the Nations Energy and Environmental Challenges and Improve Local Communities,” which calls for reducing energy usage in municipal buildings and promoting green buildings, among other things.
According to certain scientific calculations, buildings and the embedded energy within their interiors account for an estimated 48 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, far more than the 27 percent for transportation and 25 percent for industry. Additionally, 76 percent of all electricity generated by power plants goes toward operating buildings. If current trends continue, it is anticipated that annual energy consumption in the U.S. will increase by 37 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent in the next 20 years.
The AIA and US Conference of Mayors seek to reverse this trend by setting a goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. The plan will reduce the use of fossil fuels in buildings by 60 percent in 2010, 70 percent in 2015, 80 percent in 2020, 90 percent in 2025, and full carbon neutrality by 2030.
For more information, visit the Web site of the US Conference of Mayors.
