HUD Signs on to Historic Climate Declaration at United Nations Buildings and Climate Forum
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shared information on its efforts to decarbonize and increase resiliency within its programs and housing portfolio during the United Nations Buildings and Climate Forum. HUD also highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and climate resilience and learned key insights into building climate resilient homes.
Investing in energy efficiency measures is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. This not only helps tackle the climate crisis but also cuts energy costs, and makes homes more resilient to climate-fueled disasters.
The United States delegation, led by HUD, joined a group of 70 countries to adopt a foundational document for international cooperation that will enable progress towards a rapid, fair, and effective transition of the building sector to zero emissions, the Declaration de Chaillot, at the conclusion of the conference.
“There is a lot we can learn from governments and organizations across the world as we seek to build homes for the future,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “HUD represented the Biden-Harris Administration at the United Nations’ Buildings and Climate Forum and led the U.S. delegation’s effort to sign on to a historic climate declaration, building towards a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable future.”
According to HUD, HUD also sent a delegation to COP 28, led by then-Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, where the agency made key announcements on its work to build more resilient, sustainable, and efficient homes:
- HUD signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Energy to work together on domestic efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the building sector and to cut costs for consumers through energy efficiency improvements.
- HUD launched its Energy and Water Benchmarking Service, available for properties participating in its Multifamily project-based rental assistance programs. This new, free service provides participating multifamily property owners with data on energy and water consumption at their properties, helping them identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements that can benefit residents and promote green investments in individual properties or entire property portfolios.
- HUD became the 15th member of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), to guide and contribute to the U.S. government’s scientific research on global climate change and ensure that state-of-the art research and data on climate change benefits the people and communities that HUD serves.
- Through implementation of its Climate Action Plan since October 2021, HUD has made significant progress in benchmarking, increasing energy efficiency, and increasing the resilience of HUD households. As of COP 28, 463,000 HUD-assisted units have been successfully benchmarked; almost 100,000 HUD-assisted or HUD-associated (e.g., FHA-insured) housing units have been made energy efficient or aligned to green building standards through retrofits, rehabilitations, or new construction; and over 25,000 homes affected by recent disaster events rehabilitated, reconstructed, newly constructed or elevated using HUD funds.
