The built environment accounts for about 50% of global CO2 emissions. Reducing energy use and converting to renewables go a long way toward decarbonizing a building. But, energy is one system in a whole set of building systems. Focusing on the whole building has additional energy and carbon reduction payoffs.

Smita Chandra Thomas is the founder and principal of Energy Shrink – a Washington DC consulting practice focused on decarbonizing buildings for international, national, and local clients. She is also an instructor in the GWU Clean Energy Resilience Certificate Program.