“The buildings and construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for a staggering 37% of global emissions. The production and use of materials such as cement, steel, and aluminum have a significant carbon footprint” — UN Environment Programme

Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, which established a legally binding international treaty on climate change during the UN Climate Change Conference, progress toward sustainability has been less significant than expected. The construction industry continues to face challenges, with slow advancements in reducing energy consumption and related emissions, falling short of set targets.

The UN Environment Programme Report 2024/2025 indicates that from 2015 to 2023, the sector achieved only a 9.5% reduction in energy intensity, missing the 18.2% goal. Additionally, carbon dioxide emissions from building operations increased by 5.4%, failing to meet the 28.1% reduction target. While the share of renewable energy in final energy demand rose by 4.5 percentage points, it still lagged behind the intended 17.8 percentage point increase.

The 2024 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction highlights the urgent need to align building codes, promote low-carbon materials, improve access to sustainable financing, and encourage circular construction practices. This sector is crucial in the global effort to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and enhance resilience. Exploring strategies and challenges achieving carbon neutrality, we engage in an interview with sustainability expert Blake Jackson.

 

About Blake Jackson

With over 25 years of experience, Blake Jackson, AIA/LEED Fellow, serves as the Director of Sustainability at NORR, where he is dedicated to integrating sustainability, resiliency, and wellness into the built environment. His expertise encompasses architecture, interiors, planning, and adaptive reuse projects, all aimed at achieving measurable carbon reductions and delivering tangible benefits.

Blake holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Kennesaw State University and a Master of Architecture in Sustainable Environmental Design from the AA Graduate School in London. He is not only a prolific author and speaker but also an influential educator, serving as an adjunct faculty member at the Boston Architectural College and UMass Dartmouth. His leadership roles include serving on the Board of ABC (Boston) and as VP of Advocacy for the Boston Society of Architects, along with active participation in several national USGBC committees. Blake’s commitment to advancing sustainable practices makes him a vital voice in the ongoing conversation about the future of our built environment.

 

With over a quarter of a century of experience, how have you seen the approach to sustainability in architecture evolve, particularly regarding carbon reduction?

“In the beginning, the approach towards carbon reduction was broader than it is today. Then, we were trying to define what ‘sustainable’ buildings were, as performing above something more ‘conventional’, by looking holistically at a project’s transportation, site, water and energy systems, materiality, and indoor environmental quality – making improvements over code performance in the name of cost reduction and marketability of the asset through certifications.” 

“While still important today, the conversation has shifted towards focusing on ‘carbon as the new currency’, meaning we are fine-tuning our approaches to specifically address and mitigate the operational and embodied carbon impacts of projects, minimizing them on the design, construction, and across the supply chains of projects, and offsetting any optimized, necessary and residual emissions during operations so that projects demonstrably achieve, ongoing, net zero emissions.” 

“Big picture, the shift has transitioned from ‘what we can accomplish, and be awarded for, at the end of design and construction’ towards expanding the conversation to include buildings’ operations, which means we’re now tasked with thinking about the total carbon impacts of projects over their intended lifecycle.”

 

Can you discuss specific projects you've been involved in that have successfully achieved measurable carbon reductions? What strategies were most effective?

“We recently worked on two projects that achieved net-zero emissions. The first was a major renovation project, which utilized the CAGBC Zero Carbon Building Standard as a guideline, and the second – under construction – is a workplace fit-out utilizing the ILFI’s Zero Carbon Certification program.”

“In both instances, the achievement of net zero emissions was driven by the focused approaches put forth by both rating systems, which required meeting a ‘budget’ for both allowable operational and embodied carbon, as well as sub-metering of energy using systems, purchase of renewables and/or offsets, use of low-impact refrigerants, and making meaningful materials substitutions to – within the budget – curb the embodied carbon emissions of the materials specified by requiring Type-III EPDs. This requires a much deeper dive into supply chains to ensure that all material impacts are below industry average – for Global Warming Potential (GWP) – as well as includes traditional sustainability considerations, such as recycled content, regional sourcing, and that selections promote positive indoor air quality (IAQ).” 

“By focusing on these requirements, which are often voluntary in other standards, the team was able to leverage the design and construction process to identify cost effective carbon reduction strategies on both projects to achieve the goal.” 

“To answer the question of ‘which are the most effective strategies’, I argue that having the right process in place is paramount, as only then can the project-specific carbon reduction targets, and opportunities, be met. For example, there are many low embodied carbon products, which do not incur a premium; they just need to be identified and specified into the contract documents.”

 

How does the concept of adaptive reuse contribute to sustainability and carbon reduction in the built environment?

“Adaptive reuse is critical in cities, regions, and countries’ decarbonization efforts. It’s estimated that 2/3rds of the anticipated building stock of 2040 are made up of buildings that already exist now; thus, existing buildings – which are the number one global emitter of GHGs – are key in determining if humanity will either exacerbate, or solve, the Climate Crisis.” 

“Prolonging the life of existing buildings sequesters embodied carbon in place, and their reuse introduces an opportunity to strategically electrify assets, introduce onsite renewables, minimize waste and construction time, as well as include ideas not originally envisioned for these projects, such as improving accessibility, incorporating input from indigenous and community groups, the use of alternative funding mechanisms (i.e., if the building has historic/heritage ‘value’), and even enhances communities by attracting tenants looking for unique, creative, one-of-a-kind spaces.” 

“Certainly, adaptive reuse comes with challenges, but we see and believe in the benefits of prolonging the lives of buildings we already have, to strengthen their place, memory, and role within existing communities.”

 

What role do you believe architects and engineers play in advocating for sustainable practices within the industry?

“We play a leading role in advancing sustainability, as we have the tools, knowledge, technology, and generate demand for products and services – all of which exist now and only need to be leveraged on projects to realize net zero emissions, today. We often over-rely on clients to come to us with the demand for sustainable buildings, which creates a great deal of confusion, as this is often an abstract concept. Rather, we need to be continually educating them about the possibilities inherent to their project to promote positive sustainable outcomes, while meeting their business needs, utilizing each project opportunity to advocate for and tell its own sustainability story." 

“Similarly, we do ourselves a disservice when we offer ‘the option you asked for’, followed up by ‘the sustainability add-on option, at a higher premium’. Rather than utilizing this typical approach, we need to stop seeing ‘sustainability’ as different and separate from ‘design’, and we can do so by simply putting forward all options – projects, systems, and product selections – that are ‘sustainable by default’ so our clients are always selecting from options that are inherently net-zero ready, materials that are healthy and environmentally friendly, and always factoring in the lifecycle cost assessment (LCCA) impacts into decisions, so that carbon, like other considerations (aesthetics, accessibility, fire code, initial cost, etc.), is factored into every equation.” 

 

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges currently facing the industry in terms of achieving carbon neutrality in construction?

“There are three: money, time, and willpower. The first two will always be our most limited resources on projects, and given the current economic uncertainty, labor shortages, skyrocketing costs, and – in many areas – regulatory hurdles, those will always be challenges – especially since we see design fee competition, reduction of design time/phasing, and a rush to define scope/price up front.” 

“Those will never change, so, designers must simply adapt by evolving best practices, teams, and skills to meet this demand, while front loading the design process to make carbon impacts always a part of the conversation, intentionally driving decisions, rather than being an unintended consequence, thereafter. This takes strategic investment and time to provide added value on projects at a price where competitivity is maintained in our carbon conscious era.” 

“The third – willpower – is the most intriguing factor, as I often say that the technology and knowledge to realize net zero emissions moving forward exists “here and now”; we just need to leverage our abilities to utilize them. This means taking greater leadership, responsibility, and agency to design buildings that factor in carbon inputs and reduction throughout design, rather than it being additive or only if the client asks for it.” 

“We too often design conventional buildings, then overlay sustainability, and then we wonder why it makes the buildings more complex and costly! Rather, by factoring carbon neutrality into a project’s conception, it will result in simpler buildings to build and operate, which can cost less over the project’s lifecycle, and which are better for people and the planet, long-term.”

 

What advice would you give to emerging architects and engineers about integrating sustainability into their designs and practices?

“There is a hierarchy within architectural and engineering practice, and for good reasons. We want seasoned, licensed professionals with a proven track record leading projects for the health, safety, and welfare of the public who will occupy them.” 

“However, those professionals rely heavily on ‘what worked last time’ and generally, our industry is slow to adapt and evolve with new innovations – making change laborious, slow and often easy to avoid. If emerging professionals ‘wait for permission’ to incorporate sustainability into their practice, they may be holding their breath for a long time; rather, they need to be the ones utilizing new tools, practices, and emerging trends to challenge the status quo.” 

“Additionally, emerging talent should seek out leadership roles, either within their companies, or within affiliated professional organizations, to build leadership skills, networks, and to have a broader industry impact than just what they can affect within their company. For instance, NORR is signatory to the SE2050 Commitment, which means we’re targeting net zero embodied carbon emissions in all structural material specifications, by 2050. As a signatory, we publish an annual Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP) that tracks our progress, with case studies, in the roll out of this initiative, companywide, as well as take part within an external and internal embodied carbon working group. This initiative is being spearheaded by a young structural engineer within our Toronto office – Smit Patel – who brings passion, energy, and a growing skillset to help us push this initiative along, within the structural discipline, while representing us across the wider industry.” 

“Sustainability, because it touches so many people and aspects of projects, has historically been a space where young talent can quickly rise to prominence within their companies, build leadership skills, and add value to projects and culture.” 

“Beyond sustainability, I challenge all emerging professionals to find their passion within our industry, build their expertise, and find ways of reaching their goals. This requires them to be proactive in the ‘design’ of their careers, treating personal advancement and professional development similarly to how we plan for and manage projects and businesses, too.”

 

Conclusion

Our discussion with Blake Jackson has illuminated the critical role the buildings and construction sector plays in the fight against climate change. Key takeaways from our conversation emphasize the need for a holistic approach to sustainability, where carbon reduction becomes a primary focus throughout the lifecycle of buildings. Blake highlighted the importance of aligning building codes, utilizing low-carbon materials, and adopting innovative financing solutions to drive meaningful change.

The concept of adaptive reuse emerged as a powerful strategy for minimizing carbon emissions, showcasing how existing structures can contribute to sustainability efforts. Additionally, Blake's insights on the challenges of achieving carbon neutrality - such as financial constraints, time limitations, and the necessity for strong willpower - underscore the need for proactive leadership and innovative thinking within the industry.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Blake Jackson for sharing his expertise and perspectives. His contributions are invaluable as we navigate the path toward a more sustainable future in architecture and construction. Together, by embracing these strategies and fostering a culture of sustainability, we can work towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions and creating resilient communities.

 

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At Chicago Build, we are dedicated to sustainability, and our speakers and panel discussions reflect that commitment. With over 400 industry leaders sharing their insights across various stages, including a dedicated sustainability track, we aim to inspire and educate our 30,000+ attendees on the importance of eco-friendly practices in construction. 

Join Blake in shaping a greener future by participating in our Sustainability in Construction Ambassador Program, where you can collaborate with like-minded professionals and contribute to meaningful change in the industry. Join the Ambassador Community today!