Better Data, Better Buildings:A Global Building Data Initiative for Reducing Resource Use and C0²

Speaker: Dr Martin Röck, KU Leuven, Belgium
Hosts: Dr Prannoy Suraneni, University of Miami, United States and Prof. Karen Scrivener, EPFL, Switzerland
Title: Better Data, Better Buildings: A Global Building Data Initiative for Reducing Resource Use and Whole Life Carbon Emissions
The urgent need to address climate change necessitates a re-evaluation of design requirements for building construction and operation. Two significant challenges in future-proofing the sector are the needs to substantially reduce resource use together with embodied and whole life carbon emissions, particularly of new buildings, through both industry decarbonization measures as well as effective building design strategies and related policy frameworks.
Here, we present the Global Building Data Initiative (GBDI), set up for advancing open data to inform action for reducing resource use and upfront embodied carbon of new buildings globally. By empowering decision-makers in industry and policy, GBDI aims to drive decarbonization action for buildings considering a whole life-cycle approach. GBDI and partners developed a coordinated, open, and scalable data protocol as well as the technical infrastructure, a web-based application for global data collection and analysis. In this contribution we present the open building data format (openBDF) and how leading industry organizations are implementing it to improve comparability and advance exchange of WLC data across platforms. Furthermore, we present the global building data hub, an open-source platform for managing and assessing building life cycle data.
Since its launch in early 2024, GBDI has positioned itself amongst the leading initiatives driving open data on whole life carbon of buildings as a means for assessing and reducing life cycle emissions of new construction globally. GBDI now proceeds to compile and assess, aiming to establish a global building dataset comprising information on at least 10.000 buildings. The insights from these data will be used to inform the setting reduction targets and context-specific reference decarbonization pathways.
ABOUT RILEM:
The mission of RILEM is to advance scientific knowledge related to construction materials, systems and structures and to encourage transfer and application of this knowledge world-wide.
This mission is achieved through collaboration of leading experts in construction practice and science including academics, researchers, testing laboratories and authorities.