2022 marked a turning point for the nearly 40 percent of global emissions caused by buildings. In our meetings with leaders around the world, there is a consensus that there will be no net zero without decarbonising buildings. And they have realised the good news, that existing technology can transform buildings into one of the quickest, biggest wins in the race to net zero.

We have entered a seven-year countdown - the March 2023 Report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC) says emissions will need to be cut by almost half by 2030 if warming is to be limited to 1.5oC. But the most important message from IPCC scientists is one of action and hope: “Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future for all.” We can cut emissions in half by 2030 if we deploy existing technology and mobilise financing to make that technology available to everyone.

The proof is in the 2022 International Energy Agency (IEA) emissions report. In Europe, emissions dropped 2.5 percent, 70 million metric tons, even while the economy grew. Heat pumps played a major role, with a 38 percent increase in heat pump sales, or about three million new heat pumps put to work. Added to that, for the first time in history, combined solar and wind generation surpassed both gas and nuclear in European electricity networks. Globally, the IEA says emissions were kept to below a one percent rise, much lower than predicted, thanks in significant measure to unprecedented growth in energy-efficient equipment, heat pumps, renewable energy and electric vehicles. The fact that three out of four of those are low-carbon building technologies is no surprise to us. It affirms our business priorities and the sustainability commitments we’ve made in our operations and our products.

We use the smart building trifecta to decarbonise buildings for our customers. First and foremost, we have to bring down energy demand. Less energy, less emissions. After 138 years in business, we offer some of the most sustainable and efficient heating and cooling systems in the world, with significant breakthroughs in 2022. Retrofitting with efficient modern systems can save at least 30 percent to 40 percent in energy, emissions and costs.

The next step to net zero is clean electrification, and in 2022 the heat pump was a rising star in the in the global wave of building electrification. Able to take a single unit of electrical energy and deliver three to seven times that amount of energy for heating or cooling, heat pumps offer unparalleled efficiency. Since they also extract and amplify thermal energy from sources like sea water, earth, air and thermal waste, they represent a new level of sustainability. Using clean electricity from on-site renewable energy or the grid, heat pumps could become a near zero-emission replacement for gas heating in buildings.

That brings us close, but not all the way, to net zero. The real revolution in buildings is systemic digitalisation, using the power of data to make net zero a reality, not just a promise. With Johnson Controls OpenBlue, an ecosystem of connected solutions, we can break down siloes and connect building systems. With dynamic AI, OpenBlue can enable buildings to be fine-tuned as a whole to address business goals, including energy, emissions, cost, water and waste reduction. To see the proof for both individual buildings and portfolios, read about our OpenBlue Pioneers around the world. Whether in a thriving metropolis or in the middle of a desert, they are using OpenBlue to redefine healthy, sustainable building outcomes for their industries and regions.