2030 Carbon Targets May Be Within Reach

Architecture 2030 says new energy projections from the federal government show the building sector is on its way to achieving long-term goals in energy and carbon reductions.

The organization’s 2030 Challenge asks architectural firms to meet progressively rising standards in building energy use and emissions, with the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) issued a report last year showing projects in 2010 achieving energy use reductions of only 35%, discouragingly far from the year’s target of 60%. (The report also suffered from a lack of data, making the results difficult to interpret. See “Despite Efforts, Many AIA Firms Fail to Meet Their 2030 Commitment,” EBN May 2011.)