Carbon-Free Buildings
Powering Our Homes and Businesses Without Fossil Fuels
40%
of global energy GHG emissions
42%
increased asthma risk in homes with gas stoves
5%
rate that building emissions have risen since 2010
We Must
Construct only zero-carbon buildings
Retrofit 5% of buildings annually
Ensure electric and efficient appliances
RMI Will
Raise public awareness of health and climate costs of fossil fuels in buildings.
Design and advocate for carbon-free buildings policies in 20 key US states that represent 70% of direct gas use.
Retrofit large numbers of existing buildings to be all-electric, grid-interactive, and efficient.
Create buildings industry platforms to support dissemination of technology, supply chain development, and business-led interventions.
Leverage US successes to influence global supply chains and scale to China, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
RMI is ending reliance on fossil fuels to power and construct our built environment, bringing buildings to the forefront of a clean energy future.
Market Levers
Business Models
Scale retrofits to 5% of global buildings annually
Policy
Enact policies to support electrification and building standards
Technology
New less costly zero-carbon building technologies
Finance
Funnel investment to support retrofit uptake
What We Do
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Building Electrification
Driving the technical, policy, and regulatory solutions to accelerate the transition to all-electric buildings.
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REALIZE
REALIZE aims to catalyze the zero carbon residential revolution. Together, we’ll make better performing, safer, and more comfortable homes for all American families while spurring wealth and job creation in communities across the country, especially those that have been economically left behind.
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Embodied Carbon Initiative
Accelerating low-embodied-carbon construction practices by transforming policy, corporate investment, material manufacturing, and building design.
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Pathways to Zero
Reducing buildings’ climate impact through zero-carbon road mapping, grid interactive buildings, and low-embodied carbon materials.
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Portfolio Energy Optimization
A disruptive and scalable approach to commercial building retrofits, driving deep financial and energy savings.
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Residential Energy+
Customer-focused solutions that empower and motivate US homeowners to invest in home energy performance improvements.
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Insights
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Article
Funding Our Future: Creating a One-Stop Shop for Whole-Home Retrofits
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Article
The Building Industry Takes Aim at “This Whole Other Chunk” of Emissions
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Article
Maryland’s Opportunity to Lead on Fossil-Free Buildings
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Article
New York Set to Pioneer a Move to New All-Electric Buildings
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Report
Cost-Effective Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings
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Article
EU Looks to Cut Reliance on Russian Gas with New Investment in Heat Pumps
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Article
What’s a Gas Utility Without Gas?
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Article
Decarbonizing Tall Buildings with a New York State of Mind
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Article
Washington State Could Lead the Nation on Building Electrification Codes
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Article
A Landmark Year for Building Electrification
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Article
Stopping Gas Hookups in New Construction in NYC Would Cut Carbon and Costs
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Report
Overextended: It’s Time to Rethink Subsidized Gas Line Extensions
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Article
Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Are Easier Than They Sound
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Report
How Air Agencies Can Help End Fossil Fuel Pollution from Buildings
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Story
Reality Check: The Myth of Stable and Affordable Natural Gas Prices
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Article
Using Biomaterials to Shrink the Building Industry’s Carbon Footprint
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Article
What It Means to Plan for Net Zero
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Article
Investing in Healthier Low-Income Housing
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Report
Decarbonizing Homes
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Article
Reducing Emissions by Changing How We Work
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Article
Fighting Climate Change on the Home Front
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Report
Bringing Clean Energy Home
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Article
Aging Buildings and the Climate Emergency: Opportunity Knocks!
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Report
Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Made Easy: A GSA Building Manager’s Guide to Low- and No-Cost GEB Measures
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Article
Federal Efficiency Standards: A Win for Families, Health & Climate