Across rich and poor nations, the average cost of cutting a ton of carbon from buildings is only $25.00 US dollars, a new study says, and this energy efficiency investment pays for itself.
The worldwide building sector accounts for almost 40 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, but it is easily the cheapest source of emissions cuts.
Trying to squeeze the same cuts out of industry or transportation would cost 210 or 300 US dollars per ton, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) reports.
An economic analysis by Trevor Houser, visiting fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economic, estimates that increasing energy efficiency in buildings could help reduce any impact of climate change policy on businesses and consumers, by offsetting higher energy prices.