Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Who hasn’t escaped a scorchingly hot day by seeking refuge in a nicely chilled shopping centre? Or, for those in cold climates, in a toasty warm office or cafe? But have you ever wondered how much energy it takes to cool, heat and power the buildings in our cities and towns? It’s a lot.
In fact, the building sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions – about 39 per cent of all energy-related CO2 emissions come from buildings and the materials used to construct them. Humanity will never reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century unless we can make buildings truly gree