The Pittsburgh 2030 District, a project of the Green Building Alliance, has released its 2022 Progress Report, revealing District property partners have reduced carbon emissions by 44.8% below baseline.

This achievement moves the District within range of reaching its target goal of 50-65% reduction in carbon emissions before the 2030 deadline. The District will continue to pursue zero carbon emissions by 2040.

The Pittsburgh 2030 District 2022 Progress Report also notes that last year Pittsburgh 2030 District Partners realized a total utility cost savings of $59.7 million and reduced water consumption by 32.8% below the baseline, a slight decrease from the 2021 reduction of 37.1% (accountable due to workers returning to the office), but still greater than the pre-pandemic 2019 reduction of 19.8%.

The Pittsburgh 2030 District comprises property partners representing more than 550 buildings occupying 87.1 million square feet.

They include a variety of sectors and building types, including office towers, hospitals, hotels, multifamily residential buildings, universities, professional sports facilities, and museums.

Carbon Emissions

Emissions goals were set in response to urgent developments in climate science indicating that for the world to meet the 1.5°C carbon budget set forth in the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries must reduce CO2 emissions in the entire [existing] built environment by 50-65% by 2030 and reach zero carbon by 2040.

The built environment accounts for approximately 37% of global CO2 emissions and 39% of all U. S. primary energy use.

“We are extremely proud of the achievements of our 2030 District Partners and the leadership that Pittsburgh is showing in the move toward the very challenging but critically urgent goal of decarbonization,” said Chris Cieslak, Green Building Alliance chief operating officer and vice president of programs. “It is truly incredible what Pittsburgh has accomplished so far, mostly voluntarily. Now is the time for our legislators to bolster that progress, particularly given that Pennsylvania lags behind other states in offering incentives for energy and emissions reductions, and our building codes do not include the most updated standards for energy efficiency. With initiatives like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a Clean Energy Standard, strengthening Act 129 energy efficiency programs, funding the Whole Homes Repair Act, and establishing building performance standards for existing buildings, we could go even further.”

In addition to their 2030 District commitment, some Partners have set additional carbon neutrality goals.

Individually, Chatham University has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2025, and the University of Pittsburgh by 2037.

A number of large property owners, grocery stores, and financial institutions have also made carbon commitments.

In 2021, commercial real estate entities JLL and CBRE announced they would pursue achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

“Our 2030 District Partners are showing the kind of collective local impact that can be made when property owners choose clean energy to power their buildings, invest in energy-efficient retrofits and upgrades to reduce energy use, and make changes to how their buildings operate,” adds Cieslak. “To continue that momentum nationally, we need systemic change: we need to revise our building codes, we need to migrate toward full building electrification, and we need to decarbonize the energy grid. The impacts of climate change are evident and growing, and our window of time to prevent greater effects is closing.”

“This year’s 2030 District Progress Report comes on the heels of the latest analysis from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which made it clear that urgent international action is necessary to avoid overshooting the carbon budget. While climate mitigation solutions exist and governments have made commitments, the IPCC report shows that global emissions continue to rise and warns of irreversible consequences. In Pittsburgh, we are making tangible progress, we are getting very close to our goals, and we are proof that it is possible to turn things around. If it can be done here – in a city that is lacking in regulations but strong in public will – it can be done everywhere. Communities across the world could collectively meet these goals."

To measure carbon emissions, the Pittsburgh 2030 District prepares annual performance reviews to assess each participating building’s carbon emissions intensity and progress.

Carbon emissions calculations allow for the carbon intensity of the fuel source type, with nuclear, solar, wind and hydro-electric being carbon-free while grid-electricity, natural gas, district steam and chilled water have various emissions factors.

GBA’s 2030 District team provides Partners with education, training and guidance to further their progress, covering topics such as:

-- Conducting deep carbon retrofits on existing buildings to dramatically improve efficiency

-- Case studies of net zero carbon retrofits

-- Examples of whole building life cycle analysis

-- Embodied carbon

-- Facilitating building electrification to eliminate fossil fuel use, including replacing furnaces and boilers that run on natural gas with ground- or air-source heat pumps.

-- Thermal energy storage

Click Here for a copy of the Pittsburgh 2030 District 2022 Annual Report.

Visit the Pittsburgh 2030 District webpage for more information on this leadership initiative.

Related Articles:

-- Senate Environmental Committee Info Session On Carbon Capture Discusses Job Potential; Reaching Net-Zero Carbon Goal; Impacts/Risks Of The Technology; PA’s Poor Track Record In Regulating Pipelines, Oil & Gas Industry  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh 2030 District Announces Significant Progress In Reducing Carbon Emissions -  44.8% From Baseline; Savings Of $59.7 Million In Utility Costs  [PaEN]

-- New Analysis: PA's RGGI Carbon Pollution Reduction Program Covering Power Plants Will Cut Consumer Energy Costs, Increase Federal Investments In PA  [PaEN]

-- Rebuild By Design: Atlas Of Disaster Finds Climate-Related Extreme Weather Caused Over $630 Million In Disaster Damage In PA From 2011 to 2021; Doesn’t Include Damage Not Covered By Federal Programs [PaEN]

[Posted: June 7, 2023]

6/12/2023