Globally, with proven and commercially-available technologies, the energy consumption in both new and existing buildings can be reduced by 30-50% without significantly increasing the investment costs of new construction or renovation projects (UNEP SBCI, n.d.). Solutions include improved insulation, well-designed fabric, smart design (e.g. appropriate orientation for solar access), low energy appliances and cooling/heating systems, watersaving devices, water recycling and harvesting, and incentives to building users to save water and energy. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the housing sector has the most potential for improvement without extra cost in the near future (UN-Habitat, 2012a). Unmet or suppressed demand and the rebound effect (Galvin, 2014) however, can offset these savings.

Design or operation and maintenance In addition, reduction in construction related imports as a result of sustainable practices can significantly reduce transportation emissions. New, well designed buildings will improve indoor thermal comfort levels and provide an opportunity to encourage behavioral and thought patterns which are energy efficient and resource friendly. Since the core concept of “thermal comfort” is more of a state of mind (reflecting different cultural, class and geographical conditions) than a technical certainty (ANSI ASHRAE Standard 55, 2010) the adoption of western benchmarks for comfort (achieved by active cooling technology) should be vigorously discouraged. Improving awareness about good behavioral practices and natural ability to adapt to a range of temperatures can impact the way future generations use energy.