Climate change is the defining issue of our lifetimes. We are now at a pivotal juncture where every choice, every action, and every year can mean the difference between a sustainable, equitable future and the destruction of entire ecosystems. This year alone, the US has seen 16 weather and climate disasters where overall damages reached or exceeded $1 billion, according to NOAA. These events are only going to increase in frequency if we don’t radically transform our current models of consumption. The built environment has a critical role to play in responding to the climate crisis. Buildings are responsible for 39% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of all raw material consumption. Real estate, as an asset class, also happens to be extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels, wildfires, floods, and other forms of extreme weather. To mitigate the economic and physical damage of climate change, we must work aggressively towards revisioning the entire sector. We have to push past our current paradigm and embrace a whole-systems approach to the way we design, build, and operate. This report explores the challenges and opportunities in Green Building Technology and some of the innovative startups tackling these challenges.
