Dubai:Buildings worldwide have the potential to significantly enhance energy efficiency over the next decade, which could help reduce energy bills, bolster energy security, and lower emissions, as highlighted in a new special report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
According to Wam, the report, commissioned by Türkiye and Australia under the strategic partnership between the COP31 Presidency and the IEA, proposes a global target to improve the energy intensity of buildings by at least 25% by 2035. The report indicates that this target is achievable using existing technologies and policy approaches, but would require a marked acceleration in progress, aiming to more than double the current rates of improvement.
The report outlines four key areas for advancement enhancing building envelopes, electrifying end-uses, increasing equipment efficiency, and expanding access to clean cooking. These measures could collectively reduce the energy intensity of buildings by more than 25% by 2035, despite growing demand due to population growth and rising incomes. Additionally, they could cut the sector's direct CO2 emissions by nearly 40%. The impact of each measure would vary by country, based on factors such as climate, building stock, technology use, and clean cooking access.
Globally, more efficient equipment is expected to contribute the most to energy intensity improvements, accounting for 40% of the reduction. Improved building envelopes, electrification, and expanded clean cooking solutions are projected to contribute 20%, 15%, and 25%, respectively. Currently, buildings account for about 30% of total final energy consumption, half of all electricity use, and 2.8 gigatonnes of direct CO2 emissions, emphasizing their role in meeting global energy efficiency and emission reduction targets.
The IEA's path is aligned with the COP28 goal of doubling global energy efficiency improvements by 2030 and the proposed COP31 goal of increasing electricity's share in total energy consumption to 35% by 2035. The report stresses that governments have proven policy tools to achieve these goals, but success will depend on effectively combining them. Measures include strengthening building energy codes, accelerating renovations, expanding energy performance standards and labels, improving the economics of technologies like heat pumps, and increasing access to clean cooking.
Decisions made now will have long-term impacts on energy consumption, with faster efficiency improvements enabling countries to meet energy service demands more cost-effectively while enhancing energy security and reducing emissions.