2030 Challenge
All new buildings, developments, and major renovations shall be carbon-neutral by 2030.
The 2030 Challenge:
The urban built environment is responsible for 75% of annual global GHG emissions: buildings alone account for 39%. Eliminating these emissions is the key to addressing climate change and meeting Paris Climate Agreement targets.
To accomplish this, Architecture 2030 issued The 2030 Challenge in 2006 asking the global architecture and building community to adopt the following targets:
- All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 70% below the regional (or country) average/median for that building type.
- At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 70% of the regional (or country) average/median for that building type.
- The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations shall be increased to:
- 80% in 2020
- 90% in 2025
- Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).
These targets may be met by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable energy, and/or purchasing (20% maximum) off-site renewable energy.
Meeting the 2030 Challenge
The 2030 Challenge can be met by following these steps:
- Establish an EUI baseline and target using the Zero Tool.
- Apply low/no cost passive design strategies to achieve maximum energy efficiency. Visit out the 2030 Palette for ideas.
- Integrate energy efficient technology and systems.
- Incorporate on-site and/or off-site renewable energy to meet the remaining energy demands.*
- Engage in iterative energy modeling throughout the entire design process to understand the interactive effects of various design decisions and to assess progress towards meeting the EUI target.
The 2030 Commitment
To support the 2030 Challenge, the American Institute of Architects created the 2030 Commitment Program, aimed at transforming the practice of architecture to respond to the climate crisis in a way that is holistic, firm-wide, project-based, and data-driven. Over 400 A/E/P firms have adopted the 2030 Commitment, and firms from all over the country have been tracking and reporting projects since 2010, with over 2.7 billion ft2 of project work reported in 2016 alone.
Join the 2030 Commitment today and become part of a growing network of designers striving to meet the 2030 Challenge targets. Commitment signatories gain access to a host of online tools, educational resources, and mentorship opportunities to support success.
The AIA+2030 Series
The AIA+2030 Online Series is an educational program aimed at providing design professionals with the high-performance building knowledge necessary to meet the 2030 Challenge targets. Sponsored by Autodesk and delivered through AIAU, the AIA’s online education portal, the highly-rated Online Series is based on the successful AIA+2030 Professional Series that has been offered to over 30% of AIA’s membership in 25 markets throughout the United States.
New 2030 Commitment Signatories get the first course of the AIA+2030 Online Series for free, so join today!
Impact of the 2030 Challenge
The targets set out in the 2030 Challenge have been adopted and is being implemented by 80% of the top 10 and 65% of the top 20 architecture/engineering/planning firms in the U.S. In addition, the AIA, ASHRAE, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the federal government, and many other organizations and state and local governments and agencies have adopted the Challenge. In Canada, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Ontario Association of Architects and cities such as Vancouver have also adopted the Challenge targets.
The 2030 Challenge is widely adopted in the US and globally by individuals, professional organizations, and governments. It has been adopted into federal, state, and local government legislation and has become standard practice in most leading A/E/C firms. As a result, Architecture 2030 has shifted from counting and recording adopters to asking professional firms to report on their progress in meeting the 2030 Challenge targets through the AIA 2030 Commitment.
