Editing IPCC:AR6/WGIII/Chapter-9 (section)

=== FAQ 9.2 | What are the co-benefits and trade-offs of mitigation actions in buildings? ===

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Mitigation actions in buildings generate multiple co-benefits (e.g., health benefits due to the improved indoor and outdoor conditions, productivity gains in non-residential buildings, creation of new jobs particularly at local level, improvements in social well-being etc.) beyond their direct impact on reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions. Most studies agree that the value of these multiple benefits is greater than the value of energy savings and their inclusion in economic evaluation of mitigation actions may improve substantially their cost-effectiveness. It is also worth mentioning that in several cases the buildings sector is characterised by strong rebound effects, which could be considered as a co-benefit in cases where the mechanisms involved provide faster access to affordable energy but also a trade-off in cases where the external costs of increased energy consumption exceed the welfare benefits of the increased energy service consumption, thus lowering the economic performance of mitigation actions. The magnitude of these co-benefits and trade-offs are characterised by several uncertainties, which may be even higher in the future as mitigation actions will be implemented in a changing climate, with changing building operation style and occupant behaviour. Mitigation measures influence the degree of vulnerability of buildings to future climate change. For instance, temperature rise can increase energy consumption, which may lead to higher GHG emissions. Also, sea level rise, increased storms and rainfall under future climate may impact building structure, materials and components, resulting in increased energy consumption and household expenditure from producing and installing new components and making renovations. Well-planned energy efficiency, sufficiency and on-site renewable energy production can help to increase building resilience to climate change impacts and reduce adaptation needs.

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