Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Do buildings contribute a significant share of all US greenhouse gas emissions?

Thursday, October 29, 2020

By Amy Vong

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YES

According to a report by the bipartisan Environmental and Energy Study Institute, residential and commercial buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for "direct" emissions (i.e., gas cooktops) and "indirect" emissions (i.e., the production of electricity used in buildings). Most electricity used in the U.S. still comes from fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy is also consumed in making and transporting construction materials like wood, steel and glass.

The Environmental Protection Agency attributes 12% of 2018 emissions directly to the commercial and residential sectors (and the buildings they occupy). Portions of emissions measured by the EPA from the electricity sector (27%) and the transportation sector (28%) can be factored in as indirect emissions.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Environmental and Energy Study Institute: Buildings and built infrastructure

EIA: US electricity generation by energy source

Environmental Protection Agency: Sources of greenhouse gas emissions, commercial and residential sector

Climate Innovation: Decarbonizing US buildings

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.