The UNEP estimates that by 2030 the energy intensity per square meter of the global building sector needs to improve on average by 35 percent to meet global climate goals set forth in the Paris Agreement[i]. Although the building sector energy intensity has improved by roughly 1.5 percent per year, its net Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are still increasing, because these improvements are offset by the growth in global floor area, which is expanding by 2.3 percent year on year globally. Even though advanced building energy codes can reduce a building¡¯s energy consumption by up to 70 percent, the adoption of these codes and standards has been slow and uneven globally.
This dataset covers 88 countries (including most of the world¡¯s 25 largest economies) that have adopted and made mandatory a building energy code or building energy efficiency standards in at least one city. Among these, there is wide variation in the stringency and applicability of the codes (minimum performance standards, coverage, and types of buildings affected).
[i] United Nations Environment Programme (2022). 2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction: Towards a Zero?emission, Efficient and Resilient Buildings and Construction Sector. Nairobi.