Blueprint for Net Zero

Innovations Driving Decarbonization in the Built Environment

Decarbonization in a nutshell

In 2023, the global average carbon dioxide set a new record high of 419.3 parts per million. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is now 50% higher than it was before the Industrial Revolution. Carbon emissions are a major contributor to the natural greenhouse gas effect, which is causing temperatures to rise globally at a rate three times higher than they were in 1982. It comes as no surprise then that the process of reducing, stopping or mitigating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a lofty goal.

It’s also an intangible goal in that we can’t visibly see, taste, touch or smell many aspects of decarbonization, and yet, it’s arguably the most important facet involved in safeguarding our planet. From Apple to AT&T to Microsoft, to Anheuser Busch to Target, companies across the globe are pledging their commitment to decarbonization, churning out broad blueprints for achieving their respective sustainability and net-zero goals in their respective industries – but how good are these plans if they happen in a silo?

The answer may be closer than we think...

What if the solutions to decarbonization are already in place? What if the answers to our questions on how to achieve it are already in motion and simply require a shift in thinking? How feasible is it to reach our 2050 promises, let alone what we’ve committed to by 2030?

All this and much more occupies the thoughts of some of the world’s leaders in sustainability and decarbonization. While each organization has different methods, strategies and approaches to driving toward an environmentally responsible future, here’s what we know to be true, and what stakeholders agree needs to happen:

Collaboration is essential and almost every business sector will need to participate in decarbonization initiatives to create resilient communities and reduce carbon emissions.

Decarbonization and reducing carbon emissions will not be achieved overnight, highlighting the tremendous need to reinvest in our own grid.

Integrated system design beginning at concept is a critical element of sustainable builds.

We are at the crossroads of policy, technology development and business, requiring continuous improvement and conversation to effect change.

Building Better Futures

Xylem’s Bell & Gossett launched the Building Better Futures platform in 2023 to advance innovative, energy-efficient hydronic, HVAC and plumbing solutions in North America. Since then, this platform has evolved to promote conversation around sustainability and decarbonization, including partnering with manufacturer’s reps and industry partners to understand how we can build better futures, while continuing to develop next generation systems and solutions.

In the context of the six pillars that make up the Building Better Futures platform – Buildings, Solutions, Technologies, Environment, Communities, Partnerships – we examine the trends, challenges and themes that underscore what can only be described as a critical juncture. Almost nine years after the landmark Paris Agreement, just five years to the initial 2030 goals and halfway through a decade defined by the effects of climate change, we are closing in on a definitive period of decarbonization. This report strives to tell that story – where we are now and where we need to go to achieve a net-zero and decarbonization reality.

The path to net zero is fraught with complexity. According to McKinsey & Co.’s Global Energy Perspective, we are still a long way out. For instance, even if all countries deliver on current commitments, global emissions reductions are not moving fast enough to keep temperatures consistently below 1.5°C pathway, and in fact, are projected to peak between 2025 and 2035 before even beginning to decline. Under the Paris Agreement, staying under 1.5°C is critical if we want to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

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Many organizations have their own measurements or criteria for sustainability.

These set the standard for an industry that is constantly accelerating and evolving. Below are a handful of industry conservation and environmental compliance standards and criteria.

ASHRAE Standards

ASHRAE standards are the recognized standards for system design, equipment performance, indoor air quality and energy conservation for ventilation system design, HVAC, indoor air quality, refrigeration and more.

BOMA 360

The BOMA 360 Performance Program sets the standard worldwide for operational best practices in the commercial real estate industry. For building owners and managers who want to help their properties stand out from the crowd, there is no clearer mark of excellence than achieving the BOMA 360 designation.

LEED

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognized framework for design and construction of healthy, efficient and cost-saving buildings. All types of buildings can be LEED certified to indicate they meet high standards for sustainability. Now in version v5, LEED is maintained by the U.S. Green Building Council.

CFP Green Buildings

Real estate services leader Cushman & Wakefield developed C&W Green Buildings. In partnership with CFP Green Buildings, this proprietary digital software assessment tool identifies custom decarbonization, retrofitting and cost savings opportunities for real estate investors and owners.

WELL Building Standard

WELL is a healthy building certification program and a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.

CARE Tool

The CARE Tool allows users to compare the total carbon impacts of renovating an existing building versus replacing it with a new one and is part of the Architecture 2030 project.

Green Building Initiative Green Globes Rating System

GBI’s rating system is a science-based, three-in-one system that evaluates the environmental sustainability, health and wellness and resilience of commercial buildings and portfolios. Through the Green Globes certification program, the system incentivizes and rewards owner and occupant commitment to sustainability goals.

Fitwel®

Fitwel® is a people-centric real estate certification platform committed to building health for all®, generated by expert analysis of 7,000+ academic research studies.

2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

In October 2026, the Department of Energy will require all newly manufactured commercial water heaters to have a minimum thermal efficiency of 95% for gas-fired storage heaters, and 96% instantaneous gas-fired heaters.

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Benchmarking starts the conversation that drives change.

Henry Chamberlain, former BOMA president

There is an estimated $800 billion worth of empty office space in just nine large cities around the world, underscoring the reality that owners, architects and developers must design with flexibility, modularity and evolving purposes in mind.

Nearly two-thirds of buildings that exist today will still exist in 2050, emphasizing the need to enhance the efficiency of existing buildings to achieve sustainability goals.

The world population is projected to be around 8.23 billion in 2025 and will peak in the 2080s at about 10.3 billion; population growth coupled with increased resource consumption will further stress the United States’ already strained power grid – the only major macro grid in the world that lacks a national-scale grid development program.

From 2020 to 2060, the world is expected to add about 2.6 trillion square feet (241 billion square meters) of new floor area to the global building stock, the equivalent of adding an entire New York City to the world, every month, for 40 years.

The implications of accommodating existing infrastructure, while navigating the largest wave of building and infrastructure growth, are still unfolding.

Featured report contributors

Throughout this report, you will find insights from various industry voices – including thought leaders, subject matter experts, organizations and industry representatives that are each, in their own respect, generating awareness of the importance of driving sustainability, efficiency and decarbonization in the built environment – and challenging the norm in the process.