Net-Zero Transformation of Buildings Made Possible by Modern Technologies

According to research conducted by Boston University's Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) and Schneider Electric's Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), the sustainability-focused transformation of buildings using new technologies has the potential to create more than 2 million new job opportunities in Europe and the United States, and the journey to net zero buildings is expected to generate more than 141 million job-years. According to research conducted by IGS and SRI, the sustainability-focused transformation of buildings using new technologies has the potential to create more than 2 million new job opportunities in Europe and the United States. The journey to net zero buildings is expected to generate more than 141 million job-years. The research, titled "Building a Green Future: Examining the Job Creation Potential of Electricity, Heating and Storage in Low-Carbon Buildings," is described as the first study to examine the job creation potential of low-carbon next-generation buildings at such a detailed level. From a micro-scale perspective, the research examines global employment outcomes for low-carbon building models covering residential, hospital, hotel, office, retail and educational sectors in North America, Europe and Asia. The data focuses on the potential for the use of rooftop solar panels, heat pumps and energy storage batteries, particularly for consumer-generated renewable energy sources. These low-carbon technologies, readily available today, support the electrification and digitalization of the building sector, which is critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale. Related employment estimates were prepared in accordance with a timeline envisioned for 100 percent renovation of buildings, aligned with 2050 global net zero targets. Conducted in collaboration between Schneider Electric and Boston University, the research sheds light on the multi-layered impacts of building transformation processes and serves as an important resource for institutions and governments in their investments in this field. Understanding the contribution that the transition to net zero buildings will make to employment supports and encourages the shift to green energy.

'Significant growth with 319,000 new job opportunities projected in the South and Southeast regions of the United States'

Schneider Electric Senior Vice President of Climate and Energy Transition Research and Director of SRI Vincent Petit stated that it is possible to rapidly transform buildings to net zero through modern technologies, adding that this brings not only environmental but also socioeconomic benefits. Petit said, "With this research, we are addressing the employment impact of this technology-driven transformation, which has not been widely discussed until now. In this way, we make visible the multi-layered benefits of sustainability-focused transformation." Noting that the job creation potential is examined by both region and building type, Petit stated, "According to this, approximately 0.05 jobs can be created per residential building. For commercial buildings, this figure ranges between 0.3 and 4.7. Considering the combined number of residential and commercial buildings, the job creation potential of this transformation exceeds millions." Petit stated that when this potential is examined by country in Europe, it is expected that 295,000 jobs will be created in France, 257,000 in Germany, 252,000 in Italy, 247,000 in the United Kingdom, 212,000 in Spain and 66,000 in the Netherlands.

Petit, stating that significant employment creation is expected across various regions of the United States, continued as follows:

'Significant growth is particularly projected with 319,000 new job opportunities in the South and Southeast regions of the United States. The largest job creation potential stems from the installation of heat pumps and battery storage for large buildings in regions and building types with high solar energy potential. The largest employment share for heat pumps, solar PV and batteries comes from construction and installation. The research also supports two new findings from Schneider Electric showing that over 60 percent carbon emission reductions can be achieved when implementing these low-carbon solutions, and up to 70 percent when implementing digital building and power management solutions in existing office buildings.' Source