Months of negotiations among Democrats in the U.S. Senate has finally produced an agreement to invest in reducing fossil fuel dependency and meet the pledges that the United States has made under the Paris Climate Accords. If passed, the Inflation Reduction Act would be the largest investment in renewable energy in the history of the United States. The package would reduce emissions in the U.S. by 40% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, which is a big step towards the 50% reduction agreed upon. This reduction will be achieved through tax incentives that will lower the cost of producing renewable energy, make rebates available for those who make their homes more energy efficient, and introduce tax credits for car buyers who buy electric vehicles, and more. It also incentivizes maintaining existing nuclear plants and making fossil fuel plants much cleaner through methane reduction, ensuring affordable and reliable energy, which is critical for social sustainability.
The International Energy Agency has called for the world to stop all new gas, oil, and coal development this year to have a chance at meeting the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit set by the Paris Climate Accords. For architects this means designing and renovating buildings to be highly efficient and, when coupled with renewable energy for building operations, result in zero CO2 emissions.
The investment in making homes more energy efficient is especially significant in a global building sector that generates nearly 50% of annual global CO2 emissions. Building operations alone generate 27% of these emissions, and this amount will only increase without widespread existing building decarbonization. To achieve decarbonation, existing buildings will need to undergo significant energy upgrades including improvements in energy efficiency, a shift to electric or district heating systems powered by carbon-free renewable energy sources, and the generation/procurement of carbon-free renewable energy. An extensive process that isn’t viable for the average Canadian without significant government investment.
Incentives by governments are crucial for meeting the Paris Agreement, and as the United States Government is stepping up its game for the fight again Climate Change, shouldn’t Canada, one of the highest per capita emitters of global GHG emissions, be doing the same?
