A review of the IPCC Assessment Report Four, Part 2: Mitigation options for residential and commercial buildings

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC), Fourth Assessment Report, AR4, Climate Change 2007 consists of three volumes based on the work of three IPCC Working Groups (WGs). WG1 considered the scientific basis of climate change and what the climate models are showing. WG2 considered the consequences of climate change and possible adaptation to it. WG3 considered how the climate change could be mitigated. Within this WG3 volume is chapter 6 on the mitigation options for residential and commercial buildings. This paper reviews this chapter which discusses how the potential savings of greenhouse gases can be achieved through technical fixes and policies. The technical fixes are based on existing technology although it is recognised that existing building refurbishment is a major issue to be addressed and that there are a number of policies that can help achieve these reductions although some are in their infancy. Part 1 of this paper (The IPCC process and Greenhouse Gas Emission trends from Buildings worldwide) considered the history of the IPCC and the trends in emissions, particularly from buildings. Practical application: Climate change is an important topic for building services engineers, resulting in the UK in the new, performance-based Building Regulations Part L. This paper reviews the technical options that have been identified by the IPCC as potentially carbon mitigating for buildings. The context of the world situation is also considered and the policies considered by the IPCC as relevant to buildings and plant that will ultimately affect the design of building services engineers in the UK and overseas.