Quote of the Week - Buildings currently being constructed at an increasing rate in developing countries are locking the world into high greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come.

Buildings currently being constructed at an increasing rate in developing countries are locking the world into high greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come, the world’s leading authority on energy has warned.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, told the Guardian that the world’s number one priority in tackling climate change must be to ensure those buildings meet higher standards of efficiency and safety.

“This would be the single most important step I want governments to take, and they can take it tomorrow,” he said.  Politicians could enact higher standards in regulations immediately, though ensuring they are always enforced might take a little longer and involve cooperation between different authorities.

“There are many economic benefits to mandating standards, and this can be done by governments very easily,” said Birol.  “They would have positive effects on growth, improve the conditions of the population [including their safety] and to do it they just need to make different government departments work together.”

Make building standards top priority for tackling climate change, says IEA chief by Fiona Harvey, Guardian, June 1, 2016