Heating and powering our homes and businesses generates a substantial amount of our climate-changing pollution; our built environment is a major contributor to global warming. If our homes and buildings were carbon-free and energy efficient, we would significantly reduce our climate pollution, drastically cut energy costs for owners and renters, and improve air quality where we live and work.
For example, in Washington State, emissions from buildings are growing at a faster rate than any other source of carbon pollution, with this increase largely attributable to the use of fossil gas in homes and buildings. Combusting fossil gas in homes and buildings is not only a significant contributor to climate change, but also poses significant health risks for our communities, children, and other vulnerable populations.
Indoor air quality issues are particularly concentrated for low-income residents in smaller units with poor ventilation. Communities of color are already disproportionately impacted by outdoor air pollution, and should not continue to be disproportionately harmed by poor indoor air quality as well. Gas appliances also worsen our outdoor air quality. For example, California’s residential appliances releasing more than two times as many NOx emissions as all of their gas power plants combined, and commercial gas appliances releasing just as much NOx pollution as all of California’s cars.
States and many cities in the region and around the country are increasingly looking at ensuring all new buildings are electric as a key cost-effective pathway for achieving their local or state greenhouse emissions goals. Electrifying buildings is critical to addressing climate change, but it is also achievable, affordable, safe, and creates a more resilient energy system.
We are working with lawmakers and community partners to move rapidly toward electrifying our buildings for heating, cooling and cooking. We can also construct homes and buildings that get all their energy from sustainable sources, and even produce as much energy as they use — net zero energy buildings.
No corner of our state was left untouched by climate-fueled storms and harms last year.
Buildings are one of the largest and fastest-growing sources of climate pollution. Our statewide building codes can set an example for how to cut pollution, but only if our voices are louder than the fossil fuel industry.
Olympia is the fourth Pacific Northwest city to prioritize clean air and health through action on buildings
Numerous Oregon cities from Bend to Beaverton want to require stronger energy efficiency building standards, but Oregon’s existing state policies are holding them back.
Shoreline, Washington became the second city in the Pacific Northwest to pass policy on clean buildings.
Oregon PUC regulators are tasked with figuring out how to protect customers and reduce risk, while gas utilities grapple with how to meet climate pollution reduction goals while continuing to meet customers’ needs.
The Eugene, OR city council voted to start studying whether to require all new-constructed commercial and residential buildings be electric only.
Harrowing floods in the PNW, a wrap-up of the COP26 conference, and some federal progress on climate.
A massive oil spill in California, America readying for EV growth, big moves on gas use in buildings, Bad Apples in the Beltway, and a spotlight on Facebook’s climate denial.
As heat rises, fossil fuel pollution from Oregon’s buildings looms large.
Please email development@climatesolutions.org or contact Savitha Reddy Pathi, Deputy Director, at 206-854-6630.
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No corner of our state was left untouched by climate-fueled storms and harms last year.
