Polish Green Building Council sets out path to decarbonise the economy.
According to a new report the buildings sector, including construction, is responsible for almost 40% of Poland’s carbon emissions but can be decarbonised in time for its 2050 goals if the country takes the right decisions now.
The report, How to Decarbonise the Built Environment by 2050: Whole Life Carbon Roadmap for Poland, produced by the Polish Green Building Council (PLGBC), outlines the steps needed to reduce carbon significantly from the build environment – from construction right through to demolition.
The report breaks down clear actions needed by nine different stakeholder groups: government and local authorities; developers, investors and building owners; Designers (architects and civil engineers); manufacturers of building materials and technologies; contractors; building managers; financial institutions and NGOs; professional associations; and academia.
For those involved in the design of buildings, the report sets a deadline of 2040 by which time all buildings should be designed for fully carbon-neutral operation. It also calls on engineers to substitute high-carbon materials out of design, develop digital building logbooks for each project and says the industry needs to share analysis and results widely.
Alicja Kuczera, CEO of PLGBC, said: “The path towards the decarbonisation of Poland’s building stock and construction sector presented in the report is undoubtedly very ambitious. However, without bold vision it is impossible to achieve climate neutrality. But ambitious visions must be translated into ambitious strategies, as only decisive, intensified and long-term action will allow us to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal.”
Poland is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, which requires that global net greenhouse gas emissions reach zero by 2050. It is also a member of the European Union, which is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. So decarbonising the built environment in Poland will play a significant part in both ambitions.
Decarbonising buildings is one of the most cost-effective ways to mitigate the worst effects of the climate change. The global building stock is likely to double by 2050 and given that buildings are expected to deliver more and more in terms of comfort, convenience and entertainment, emissions will increase considerably if little or nothing is done to reduce their carbon intensity.
