Climate Action 2011-2012

Los Silos project in Mexico.
© WorldGBC
“
Growing economies should
employ green building strategies
as a central part of sustainable
development pathways.
”
er societies for the
my
green economy. Impacts of buildings on the environment are
compounded in urban environments, which is why strategies
that address buildings in concert with transport and land-use
planning will maximise climate protection.
Strategies that address
buildings in concert with
transport and land-use
planning will maximise
climate protection.
In areas subject to urbanisation and sprawl, sustainability
strategies also have the potential to incorporate important
priorities for social well-being such as human health, access
to basic services, and reducing housing and transport
costs. That is part of the reason behind the theme of this
year’s WorldGBC Government Leadership Awards, ‘Local
Excellence in Green Building Policy’, which will recognise
one city for its transformative green building policy during
the climate talks in Durban as part of COP 17.
Building The green economy
Not only can the global built environment deliver rapid
reductions in energy consumption and emissions, but it can
do so in cost-effective ways – with a significant percentage
realising positive returns to the global economy. Low carbon,
sustainable buildings and communities can play an integral
role in creating green jobs and rebuilding economies still
struggling in the wake of the global financial crisis.
Green building policies have the potential to support
massive job growth. UNEP has found that investments
in energy efficiency measures in buildings could generate
3.5 million green jobs in Europe and the USA alone. The
Natural Resources Defence Council has calculated that five
direct jobs and five indirect jobs could be created for every
US$1 million invested in energy efficiency retrofits in the
US, and similar job numbers support large-scale retrofit
efforts in Australia and the UK.
155 climateactionprogramme.org