[Bldg-sim] [Sbse] GHG reduction targets for architecturaloffices

Jeremy Poling jpoling at epsteinglobal.com
Mon Apr 6 22:04:57 PDT 2009


I've been doing some research on this topic for a bit and have found
most of the reduction targets depend on who is mandating/reviewing the
CO2 reductions.  If the carbon reduction for the building is anticipated
to be a marketable reduction credit, then the Chicago Climate Exchange
will determine the baseline and the required reduction percentage per
year.  If you are participating in the World Wildlife Foundation's
Climate Savers program, the baseline will be different as will the
agreed-upon reduction requirements.  The U.S. EPA also is developing a
scheme as part of President Obama's plans to address climate change
through a cap-and-trade program.

 

I guess the best answer is - it depends on who you are providing the
benchmarking information to.  The Architecture 2030 Challenge is
commonly referenced because it does set specific percentage reductions,
and even though they are for the work product of architectural firms the
same goals would need to be true for the architects implementing them in
the interest of "walking the talk" so to speak.  Those percentage
reductions are referenced as "reductions over the current national
average for that building type" for the project.  In the US, that would
be the 2003 CBECS energy baseline.  The 2030 Challenge percentages are:

60% in 2010

70% in 2015

80% in 2020

90% in 2025 

100% in 2030 (Carbon Neutral)

 

These are in reference to building energy use, but I would suggest that
to have a meaningful impact on climate change the same targets need to
be set for the other factors of your carbon footprint (transportation,
business travel, embodied carbon of material consumption and recycling,
etc.).

 

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but I'm not sure the answer
you are looking for is outside of your team.  If I was in your shoes, I
would sit down with my team and ask three questions:

1.	What do we believe is the smallest reduction we can commit to
and still have an impact?
2.	What is the largest reduction we can commit to accomplish within
our sphere of influence?
3.	What can we successfully replicate with our clients when they
ask us this same question?

I'd suggest that the answer to number 3 is probably somewhere between
the answers to 1 and 2 and close to the number you'll finally settle on.
I'm up for more discussion on this topic if you want - I'm passionate
and interested in this topic and continually frustrated by how many
different answers are out there and how political the issue has become.
Hope this helps!

 

Jeremy R. Poling, LEED AP
Senior Sustainability Analyst
Strategic Services

Site Solutions | Operations | Sustainability

EPSTEIN



________________________________

From: bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org
[mailto:bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of Ramana Koti
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 10:01 PM
To: Bldg-Sim; sbse at uidaho.edu
Cc: Terri Meyer Boake
Subject: Re: [Bldg-sim] [Sbse] GHG reduction targets for
architecturaloffices

 

Thanks Teri. I did not frame my question right.

I was actually referring to setting reduction a target after a complete
greenhouse gas accounting exercise (including operational energy,
transportation to and from work, work related long distance travel,
material recycling etc). I'm looking for an answer like 10% reduction
over yr 2001 baseline by 2015.

Ramana.

On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 5:42 PM, Terri Meyer Boake <tboake at uwaterloo.ca>
wrote:

Ramana

I am just going by those posted on the 2030 web site and would
extrapolate "office" in general.
http://www.architecture2030.org/2030_challenge/targets.html
http://www.architecture2030.org/downloads/2030_Challenge_Targets_Nationa
l.pdf

best

Terri

Ramana Koti wrote:

All,
 Is anyone familiar with any prevalent greenhouse gas emission reduction
targets specific to architecture/design firms in the US?
 Sorry for the cross postings.
 Thanks,

RAMANA KOTI  Assoc. ASHRAE LEED(r) AP
Sustainable Building Analyst

ELEMENTS division of BNIM architects
106 West 14th Street Suite 200
Kansas City Missouri 64105

d 816.783.1635 f 816.783.1501

bnim.com <http://bnim.com> | elements.bnim.com
<http://elements.bnim.com>

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