Launch of World Green Building Council Global Net Zero Carbon Certification Program

The World Green Building Council (WGBC) and its implementing partner, Architecture 2030, have initiated a global project to accelerate the adoption of net zero certification for buildings around the world by 2050. This is an ambitious and focused effort to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change and drive the building sector to contribute to keeping global temperature increase below 2 degrees centigrade. The premise is that a global certification program will spur widespread adoption. The certification programs to date have not been widely adopted.

Ten leading national green building councils, including the USGBC, will attend a two-day workshop to develop the key parameters of net zero certification, including net zero definitions and various pathways to the development of national certification and adoption plans. Each green building council will focus on the specifics of certification, education and training programs, and the development of demonstration projects. The effort is also expected to encourage more aggressive adoption of renewable energies as a way to reduce carbon emissions. To date, green building councils have accelerated green building construction and certification programs in 75 countries.

The WGBC will present a report on the state of net zero buildings around the world on Building Day at COP22 in Morocco in November 2016, the next round of global climate change talks.

Blackstone Ranch Institute provided a grant to support the initial gathering, along with a small group of other funders that includes the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, ClimateWorks, and WGBC’s corporate sponsor.