The building sector contributes up to 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from energy use during the life time of buildings. Identifying opportunities to reduce these emissions has become a priority in the global effort to reduce climate change. "Buildings and Climate Change"provides an overview of current knowledge about greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, and presents opportunities for their minimisation.

The report describes sources and distribution of greenhouse gas emissions across different stages and functions of buildings, and the technical measures available for their reduction. Examples of policies and tools applied in different countries to improve energy efficiency in buildings are presented, as are selected case studies on initiatives to reduce energy use in buildings. This report also reviews the relevance of some regional and international agreements to the building sector to curb greenhouse gas emissions, in particular the Kyoto Protocol. A number of recommendations on how to progress the knowledge and understanding of this issue, and how to encourage action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings are also proposed.

This report is a product of the UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative - SBCI.