In a 16-page roadmap of the initiative, AGC pointed to the fact that while construction activity accounts for just 1% to 2% of U.S. manmade greenhouse gas emissions, buildings themselves consume nearly 40% of the nation’s energy, and are the source of 31% of its emissions, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Finding ways to make the construction industry more efficient will have, at best, a marginal impact on overall domestic greenhouse gas emissions,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC’s CEO. “Whereas finding a way to ensure that what our members build is more efficient will have a significant impact on climate change. That’s why our new initiative includes a series of measures designed to influence what gets built.”
