Contribution to our long term vision: By 2050, Aotearoa New Zealand's building-related emissions are near zero and buildings provide healthy places to work and live for present and future generations.
Buildings are long lived - setting emissions patterns for the future - and drive emissions in other sectors.
Following advice from the Climate Change Comission, a consumption based approach is used. The consumption approach includes the impact of two types of building-related emissions.
Operational Carbon Emissions
Embodied Carbon Emissions
Objective 1: Reduce embodied carbon of buildings
Focus area 1: Reduce embodied carbon of construction materials
- Action 12.1.1: Progress regulatory change to reduce embodied emissions of new buildings
- Action 12.1.2: Spark and foster innovation across the sector
- Action 12.1.3: Realise cross-sector opportunities to reduce whole-of-life embodied emissions
Focus area 2: Accelerate the shift to low-emissions buildings
- Action 12.2.1: Shift expectations and grow the market for low-emissions buildings
- Action 12.2.2: Use the Government’s purchasing power to drive market change
Objective 2: Reduce operational emissions
Focus area 3: Improve building energy efficiency
- Action 12.3.1: Amend the Building Code to improve new buildings’ operational efficiency
- Action 12.3.2: Encourage and enable emissions reduction from existing buildings
Focus area 4: Shift energy use from fossil fuels
- Managing the phase-out of fossil fuels, including fossil gas
- Introducing measures to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings
Focus area 5: Establish foundations for future emissions reduction
- Action 12.5.1: Work with Māori to identify new opportunities and support an equitable transition
- Action: 12.5.2: Develop a strong data and evidence base
- Action 12.5.3: Change behaviours of households and the sector
- Action 12.5.4: Support workforce transition to ensure the sector can build for climate change
- Action 12.5.5: Establish an enabling legislative framework
Continue reading about the construction sector in chapter 12 of Aotearoa New Zealand's first emissions reduction plan here: https://environment.govt.nz/assets/publications/Aotearoa-New-Zealands-first-emissions-reduction-plan.pdf