The transition to clean energy is akin to the entire world participating in a symphony. Each player has a critical role, timing is essential, and all parts must come together deftly in order to execute this masterpiece.
But this is no idle exercise in orchestration. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has declared that this transition must occur within the next 10 years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avert a global climate catastrophe. Many sectors will have a role to play, including an evolving building sector and, in particular, a growing energy services company (ESCO) industry.
The building sector contributes 39 percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Rocky Mountain Institute’s assessment is that for the buildings sector, playing its part in the energy transition means achieving a 50 percent reduction in global building emissions by 2030 and achieving zero-carbon emissions from buildings by 2050.