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Green roofs
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Policy Solution

Green building and energy efficiency standards

Commitment

Summary

Green building practices and energy efficiency standards improve building performance that reduce solar gains, energy consumption, and urban heat islands.

Implementation

Establish voluntary green building or energy efficiency performance standards, which establish a baseline that can be leveraged through more stringent mandates or public pressure at a later time.

Considerations for Use

Resources associated with ratings and certifications can provide upgrade recommendations that are applicable to all buildings not only participating buildings.

Overview

  • Climate:

    Cold, Hot/Dry, Hot/Humid, Temperate
  • Policy Levers:

    CommitmentGovernments set ambitious goals or targets to guide prioritization and investment.
  • Trigger Points:

    Preparatory measures (actions to establish authority to act)Actions to establish/ensure the authority to act when appropriate trigger-points occur.
  • Intervention Types:

    Buildings and Built Form
  • Sectors:

    Buildings

Case Studies

Impact

  • Target Beneficiaries:

    Property owners, Residents
  • Phase of Impact:

    Risk reduction and mitigation
  • Metrics:

    Number and scores or levels of certification for buildings that receive ratings

Implementation

  • Intervention Scale:

    City, Nation, Region, State/Province
  • Authority and Governance:

    City government, National government, State/provincial government
  • Implementation Timeline:

    Medium-term (3-9 Years)
  • Implementation Stakeholders:

    City government, Private developers
  • Funding Sources:

    Private investment, Public investment
  • Capacity to Act:

    High

Benefits

  • Cost-Benefit:

    Low
  • Public Good:

    N/A
  • GHG Reduction:

    Medium
  • Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):

    Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Co-benefits (Social/Economic):

    Increase property values, Save on utilities