The US government has released the Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector, a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings by 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2050. Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in collaboration with other federal agencies, this blueprint is the first sector-wide strategy for building decarbonization developed by the federal government [cf5aa139].
The blueprint aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and projects reductions of 90% of total greenhouse gas emissions from the buildings sector. It is estimated that these reductions will save consumers more than $100 billion in annual energy costs and avoid $17 billion in annual health costs [cf5aa139].
To reach the emissions reduction targets, the blueprint sets four strategic objectives. These objectives include increasing building energy efficiency, accelerating onsite emissions reductions, transforming interactions between buildings and the electricity grid, and minimizing emissions from producing, transporting, installing, and disposing of building materials. The blueprint also includes specific performance targets and milestones to be reached by 2035 and 2050, as well as outlines federal actions to support the deployment of decarbonization and energy efficiency technologies [cf5aa139].
The DOE is focused on building innovations in building upgrades, efficient electrification, and smart controls. One of the initiatives is the Affordable Home Energy Shotâ„¢ program, which aims to reduce the upfront cost of upgrading a home by at least 50% and reduce energy bills by 20% within a decade [cf5aa139].
These efforts to decarbonize the buildings sector align with the broader goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions throughout the US economy by 2050. The Biden-Harris Administration has set ambitious climate goals and is taking significant steps to address climate change and promote clean energy [cf5aa139] [877032c8].
However, a report by the Rhodium Group warns that without rapid decarbonization solutions, the industrial sector could become the highest-emitting sector in the US by the early 2030s. The report suggests focusing on energy efficiency, electrification, low-carbon fuels and feedstocks, and carbon capture and storage at scale to reduce CO2 emissions by 87 percent by 2050. The report emphasizes that meaningful new policy action at all levels of government is needed to drive investment and overcome barriers to decarbonization [6bf0dbbd].
The challenge of decarbonizing the industrial sector lies in its processes that require high temperatures, which can only be reached with fossil fuels. While the US government is investing in clean manufacturing technology projects and promoting the use of low-carbon construction materials, more efforts are needed to address the rising emissions from the industrial sector [90eb32b1] [877032c8].