Mapping US Policy on Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Existing and Planned Activities at Federal and Sub-federal Levels

Summary

This report informs EU audiences on the status of recovery measures in the U.S. – existing and planned – that can move the country towards meeting its climate commitments, and highlights case studies that were presented through the related US-EU webinar series.

Full Description

The European Union (EU) has made a commitment to achieve net‐zero carbon emissions by 2050. Reaching this goal requires concerted action and effort across multiple industries and sectors, including the buildings sector, which accounts for roughly one-third of Europe’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The EU Renovation Wave, launched in October 2020, points the way to a decarbonised and clean-energy system by retrofitting old buildings and constructing new sustainable buildings. To this end, the European Commission has activated relevant legislation and a series of directives and programmes to address every component of the buildings sector.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the buildings sector also contributes about a third of overall greenhouse gas emissions in the United States (US). Buildings-related emissions in the US, however, are by far the highest in the G20 on a per-capita basis. Like the EU, the US has pledged to achieve net‐zero carbon emissions by 2050, and achieving energy efficiency and decarbonisation of buildings is already a top priority in many states and local jurisdictions.

The EU and the US are each taking important steps to achieve their respective goals, but can accelerate progress through the mutual exchange of best practises, policies, business models and technology development.

The purpose of this paper is to inform EU audiences on the status of recovery measures in the U.S. – existing and planned – that can move the country towards meeting its climate commitments.

This paper also highlights case studies that were presented through the related US-EU webinar series in order to further flesh out key subtopics related to decarbonizing buildings in the US.