Cities will lead the shift to net zero carbon buildings (ZCBs) and will therefore play a major role in achieving the goal of a decarbonized world. ZCBs are more achievable when the definition is expanded beyond the boundary of the individual building to allow the use of off-site clean energy or consideration across a portfolio of district or municipal buildings.
This working paper lays out a menu of pathways to achieve ZCBs, with a focus on operational carbon emissions. Each pathway is a combination of up to five components: basic energy efficiency, advanced energy efficiency, on-site carbon-free renewable energy, off-site carbon-free renewable energy, and carbon offsets in cases where efficiency measures and renewables cannot meet 100 percent of energy demand.
Policies shape a city’s ability to achieve ZCB pathways. This working paper draws on reviews of current policy frameworks and consultations with stakeholders in four countries—India, China, Mexico, and Kenya—to determine how policies at the national and subnational levels enable or disable the different ZCB components and pathways. Even within these different policy contexts, the paper finds ZCB pathways that are feasible today, making a decarbonized building stock a target increasingly within reach for urban policymakers.