Carbon benchmarking is an important first step in tackling one of the US’s largest sources of carbon emissions: the buildings we live in.
Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet and break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall.
A lot of states in the US have set ambitious goals to reduce their impact on climate change. Here in Rhode Island, the state has committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. But how do we get there?
Today, we’re going to talk about the first step in creating fewer emissions when we power our buildings. Possibly reporters Iman Khanbhai and Emma Mejia are here to explain.
Iman Khanbhai: Hello!
Emma Mejia: Hi Megan!
Megan Hall: Before we talk about reducing the emissions that come from powering our buildings, can you give me some perspective? How do emissions from buildings compare to all of the other things we do?
Iman Khanbhai: Good question! Buildings are responsible for a pretty large chunk of statewide emissions — about 30% in Rhode Island and 31% nationally.
Emma Mejia: That’s because when we heat and cool our homes, turn on the lights, or even do simple tasks like laundry and cooking, we’re using energy.
Iman Khanbhai: Much of that energy comes from burning fossil fuels like natural gas, oil, and propane. Some of it comes from producing the electricity we use, but a lot comes from heating up the air and water in our homes.
Megan Hall: Wow, that’s a lot more than I thought! So, how do we start reducing emissions from our buildings?
Iman Khanbhai: Well, some environmental advocates argue that you have to start by measuring how much energy the buildings are using. To learn more about this view, we talked to Tina Munter.
Tina Munter: I am a policy advocate at Green Energy Consumers Alliance.
Emma Mejia: She says this analysis of tracking how much energy a building uses over time to measure improvements is called “benchmarking.”
Tina Munter: If we were to benchmark my high school, we would take that school and look at current utility bills and say, ‘Okay, this school built in 1960 is using this much energy in the winter, this much in the spring and summer, and this much energy overall.’
Emma Mejia: And with that data, you can track improvements over time.
Tina Munter: Maybe the school got a complete overhaul with new windows and doors, making it even more energy efficient. So you can see over time where your investments are paying off.
Iman Khanbhai: But benchmarking might also help people compare buildings to one another.
Emma Mejia: By comparing two schools of similar age and size, you can see how specific changes might make one more energy-efficient.
Megan Hall: Why focus on older buildings? Why not just create new places that are energy efficient from the start?
Tina Munter: Approximately 70% of the buildings that will be around in 2050 are around right now. So that means in 2050, we’ll only have 30% new buildings. So we need to decarbonize the buildings that exist now. Retrofitting buildings is the vast majority of how we’re going to reduce these building emissions.
Megan Hall: That makes sense. So once we have this benchmarking data, what’s the next step?
Emma Mejia: Well, in theory, this information will help target which buildings to renovate first, by picking the ones with the most potential energy savings for the lowest cost.
Iman Khanbhai: However, some people think this may not be enough to get us to where we need to be.
Emma Mejia: Right. Benchmarking just gets our toes in the water, but to drive further progress, many cities and states are adopting Building Performance Standards, which mandate energy performance changes by law.
Iman Khanbhai: For example, last year Providence Mayor Brett Smiley signed a municipal ordinance that requires all city-owned buildings to be carbon neutral by 2040. That initiative in Providence is a step toward what some argue is needed on a broader scale.
Megan Hall: So, what exactly does that broader strategy look like?
Emma Mejia: Instead of just fixing one building at a time, these approaches reduce emissions in buildings across cities and communities.
Iman Khanbhai: And we know a lot about what we need to do — insulate, electrify air and water heating, and get our electricity from emission-free sources.
Emma Mejia: Some people argue that we shouldn’t spend the next five years measuring how inefficient our buildings are. Instead, we need to start making them better right away.
Megan Hall: So what’s the takeaway here?
Iman Khanbhai: We need to dramatically lower our emissions to fix climate change, and buildings are a big part of the solution.
Emma Mejia: Some say we can’t fix what we can’t measure, while others want to jump in right away.
Iman Khanbhai: Whether the incremental approach is the right path for Rhode Island remains to be seen.
Megan Hall: Got it. Thanks, Iman and Emma!
That’s it for today. You can find more information, or ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, at askpossibly.org. You can also subscribe to Possibly wherever you get your podcasts or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or Bluesky at “askpossibly”
Possibly is a co-production of Brown University’s Institute for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and The Public’s Radio.
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