世界经济论坛-绿色建筑原则：净零碳建筑行动计划（英）-2021.10-33页_5mb

Summary of the Green Building Principles: The Action Plan for Net-Zero

Core Content

The Green Building Principles: The Action Plan for Net-Zero is an initiative by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with JLL and the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), aimed at guiding companies in the real estate sector towards achieving net-zero carbon portfolios. It outlines a structured framework to reduce emissions across the entire lifecycle of buildings, from construction to operation and decommissioning.

Main Objectives

• Provide a common framework for real estate companies to transition to net-zero carbon.
• Simplify the process of delivering net-zero carbon portfolios and accelerate industry-wide action.
• Support the Paris Climate Agreement goals by aligning with the Race to Zero campaign.
• Encourage companies to take immediate and measurable steps towards reducing building-related emissions.

Key Principles and Actions

The following are the 10 Green Building Principles that form the basis of the Action Plan:

1. Calculate a robust carbon footprint of your portfolio in the most recent representative year to inform targets.
2. Set a target year for achieving net-zero carbon by 2050 at the latest, and an interim target for reducing at least 50% of these emissions by 2030.
3. Measure and record embodied carbon of new developments and major refurbishments.
4. Maximize emissions reductions for all new developments and major refurbishments in the pipeline to ensure delivery of net-zero carbon (operational and embodied) by the selected final target year.
5. Drive energy optimization across both existing assets and new developments.
6. Maximize on-site renewable energy supply.
7. Ensure 100% off-site energy is procured from renewable-backed sources.
8. Engage with stakeholders in the value chain to reduce Scope 3 emissions.
9. Procure high-quality carbon offsets to compensate for residual emissions.
10. Engage with stakeholders to identify joint endeavours and equitably share costs and benefits of interventions.

These principles are designed to be flexible and adaptable to local contexts, while ensuring alignment with global sustainability goals.

Market Demand and Context

• The Action Plan responds to the increasing demand for net-zero carbon strategies in the real estate industry.
• It addresses the lack of a unified understanding of what net-zero carbon entails in the built environment.
• It integrates with existing global initiatives such as the Race to Zero, WorldGBC, and the GHG Protocol.

Net-Zero Carbon Definition

• Net-zero carbon means a company puts no net emissions into the atmosphere, achieved by:
  • Reducing emissions as much as possible.
  • Using high-quality carbon removals for residual emissions.
• It differs from carbon neutrality, which may allow for the use of emissions reduction offsets rather than carbon removals.

Whole-Life Carbon

• Whole-life carbon includes both operational carbon (emissions from running a building) and embodied carbon (emissions from constructing, transporting, and assembling materials for a building).
• Most of a building's carbon footprint is Scope 3 emissions, which are indirect and occur in the value chain.

Target Year Considerations

• The final target year for net-zero carbon should not exceed 2050.
• An interim target of reducing at least 50% of emissions by 2030 is strongly recommended.
• For companies aiming to achieve net-zero by 2030, they will align with the WorldGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.
• Companies with later target years should still aim to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030.

Implementation Strategy

• Companies are encouraged to formally adopt the Principles and report progress annually.
• A robust carbon footprinting exercise is essential to establish a baseline and trajectory for emissions reduction.
• The Action Plan is not overly prescriptive, allowing for regional and company-specific adaptations.
• Stakeholder engagement is crucial for achieving emissions reductions, especially in shared or multi-let spaces.

Additional Considerations

• Embodied carbon is often the largest source of emissions for new developments and major refurbishments.
• Subletting spaces must be brought to net-zero carbon, and cost-sharing mechanisms should be established.
• Joint ventures or shared equity structures should include all buildings in the scope, with emissions reduced to the extent possible before offsetting.
• Financial responsibility for net-zero carbon interventions can be shared among stakeholders, and innovative funding solutions are encouraged.

Conclusion

This Action Plan is a critical step towards a sustainable, resilient, and affordable built environment. It provides a clear, actionable, and globally relevant framework for companies to meet their net-zero carbon commitments, while emphasizing the importance of ambitious targets, data transparency, and collaborative action across the real estate value chain.