ATLANTA—ASHRAE recently formed a task force to address climate change through responsible decarbonization strategies for the built environment.
The ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization (TFBD) has been established to develop technical resources and provide leadership and guidance in mitigating the negative carbon impact of buildings on the environment and the inhabitants of our planet.
“In a similar vein to how ASHRAE took the lead in responding to the energy crisis of the 1970s era and defined the energy efficiency journey, ASHRAE has much to offer with respect to paths for responsible decarbonization strategies,” said 2020-21 ASHRAE President Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E., HBDP. “The challenges of decarbonization are complex, but this task force is positioned to offer actionable technical guidance to improve how buildings are built and operated.”
The specific responsibilities of the task force include:
- Providing recommendations and practices for industry stakeholders in decarbonization of the built environment.
- Defining the objectives of this holistic initiative; including, but not limited to: developing a framework for characterizing the issues related to decarbonization; identifying existing portfolio of ASHRAE technical resources on issues relating to decarbonization, and package them in a way useful to policy makers and stakeholders; and identifying and quantifying knowledge gaps for policy makers and stakeholders who are tackling building decarbonization and develop resources to address these gaps.
- Formulating a value proposition statement as to why ASHRAE is embarking on this journey.
- Identifying the global audience related to this initiative.
- Establishing guiding principles that frame this journey.
- Objectively framing the issues associated with this initiative.
As work progresses within the task force, additional information and resources will be shared.
