By : Basel Khaled - Adel Farig
Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation supports the World Economic Forum in launching the Net-Zero Carbon Cities Building Value Framework, an investment framework for decarbonizing buildings.
Buildings generate approximately 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions. While numerous technologies exist to help decarbonize the sector, the biggest obstacles still relate to finance and investment, according to the World Green Building Council’s recent Beyond the Business Case report.
According to research from the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures to help stakeholders make more informed decisions on climate related investments, new sustainable buildings will represent a $24.7 trillion investment opportunity in emerging markets alone by 2030, so tackling barriers to investment is essential. The purpose of the Building Value Framework is to shift perceptions on the value of decarbonization investments from purely financial to also consider social, environmental and system performance benefits.
A community of more than 40 experts ─ from real estate, finance, technology, and city governments supported the creation of the framework, which can be used at any point in the construction life cycle for retrofit of existing buildings, as well as for the construction of new buildings.
It is coupled with an operational checklist, which acts as a practical application of the framework and identifies the relevant technology investment options for all stages of the investment planning and decarbonization journey.
“Decarbonizing buildings is a key step to achieving a net-zero future, however, today’s investment decisions often overlook this. The Building Value Framework was developed to highlight the broader benefits that result from integrating non-financial values into investment decisions, while also evaluating how digital technologies can enable the net-zero transition. The framework is designed for practical use, to better equip decision-makers with the relevant know-how to make faster, more inclusive and more sustainable investments,” said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Schneider Electric.
