US Building Emissions are Growing

Green building standards and efficiency retrofits are not keeping up with energy demand, resulting in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.

1 minute read

November 30, 2023, 6:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Rows of solar panels on a large rooftop with office or industrial buildings in background.

denboma / Adobe Stock

According to a new study, building emissions in the United States grew by 3 percent between 2010 and 2020, with the number projected to grow barring “significant interventions,” writes Nish Amarnath in Smart Cities Dive. “The study, which builds on an analysis conducted in 2022, assessed historical building emission trends and retrofit rates to pinpoint disparities between current initiatives and measures required to meet climate change goals.”

The report identified barriers to efficiency retrofits including workforce skill shortages, access to funding, and limited public awareness. The report also lists five ‘crucial enablers’ for : “setting net-zero building performance standards, developing a national retrofit plan, providing financial incentives and support, upskilling the workforce and scaling that supply chain, and promoting best practices and data transparency.”

The report points out that the funding allocated to net-zero building standards in the Inflation Reduction Act is not “sufficient to meet the size of the [emissions reduction] challenge.” However, the costs of decarbonization are becoming lower as renewable energy generation becomes more common and affordable.

Monday, November 27, 2023 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

2 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

4 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

6 hours ago - InTransition Magazine