GNFZ Submits Comment on Proposed National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building
Early this year, the Biden Administration called upon industry leaders to provide comments to inform their work drafting a national definition for zero emissions buildings. The Global Network for Zero team was proud to submit comments for consideration. Excerpts from our submission are below:
While the GNFZ team welcomes the tremendous strides in climate change mitigation and specifically the reduction and elimination of carbon emissions made by the Biden administration — in particular the increased funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and the nationally comprehensive, locally-tailored, and community-driven initiatives unveiled in the White House’s National Climate Resilience Framework — we are concerned that the proposed National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building creates more confusion than clarification.
Given the ambitious climate goals held by the U.S. government, including the emissions reduction goals enshrined in the Biden-Harris administration’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, as well as the extraordinary time it will take to transform the real estate market at scale, it is a moral, economic, and environmental imperative that we collectively set a clear, unequivocal zero emissions building definition with the requisite details for reducing and eliminating Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
As an organization advocating for the acceleration of a zero emissions world, and under the leadership of a team with more than three decades spent at the heart of the green building industry, we’ve seen time and again how well-intentioned, but often incomplete policy language creates further roadblocks to reaching zero and ultimately results in the stifled progression of efficient and effective building at scale. In fact, despite significant progress in the net zero landscape over the last decade and a half, there are still only approximately a few hundred thousand green buildings globally. Additionally, according to ABI Research, only 0.023% of all the buildings in the world are net zero – and most of those are “net zero energy,” accounting for only Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and ignoring Scope 3 emissions entirely.
Truthfully, the absence of a clear definition for the industry has been the biggest challenge in accelerating decarbonization. Our public opinion research conducted in Q1 2022 by an independent firm shows that both policy leaders and industry leaders working on decarbonization are looking for a clear definition of net zero. This is why, when it comes to the decarbonization of buildings, we categorically believe that the definition of net zero operating emissions for a building must be zero Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
Because ESG data platforms and net zero certification bodies like ours are already providing the necessary resources to help asset owners calculate and identify strategies for eliminating operating emissions across all three Scopes, solidifying this definition will further embolden all parties to operate with a harmonized standard of language, to shift focus entirely to strategy and implementation, secure the necessary ROI data, and create true market transformation.
The clock is ticking and we can no longer afford to spend time litigating language when the moment demands we focus on implementing change at scale. If we are to meet the targets publicly outlined and necessary for averting the existential impacts of a warming world, we must resist the convenience of slicing the goal and opt instead to guaranteeing one clear metric we can all converge on.
Put simply, the National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building must be an unambiguously solidified metric — a detailed, cross-sector definition that includes net zero Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, and that we establish and employ today.
GNFZ recognizes that the process of identifying and eliminating Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions can be daunting. With our incremental approach to net zero certification, we walk hand in hand with organizations as they navigate market barriers and misinformation, ensuring that no building or business is left behind. Accelerate your net zero journey today and be empowered to tackle your Scope 3 emissions by partnering with GNFZ.