Investigating the climate change mitigation contributions made by building efficiency tools used in the formal South African residential sector

Abstract

The building sector’s levels of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption is a significant contributor to South Africa’s overall carbon emissions. This influences SA’s ability to meet its Paris Agreement commitments, which aims to limit the effects of global climate change. This research focuses on the climate change mitigation strategies that are employed by the building sector, specifically the potential impact of mandatory and voluntary building energy efficiency regulations, standards, initiatives, and certifications common to South Africa’s residential market. Internationally, research on the impact of green building tools tends to focus on the commercial sector rather than the residential sector, due to limited energy data availability. Within this context, and given the exploratory and evaluative nature of this research endeavour substantial reliance has had to be made on various grey literature for this research. A review of the South African building efficiency tools shows that there is potential for a 16% reduction in the energy intensity of the residential sector by 2030. This will, however, be offset by the projected increased building floor area and is as such insufficient to meet our Paris Agreement commitments, thus more ambitious targets are required. Given the growth of the residential sector and the potential impact of the various tools, a focus on improved and timeous mandatory regulations for new builds is crucial so as to meet our climate commitments