Island Press · An Imprint of Princeton University Press

Going for Zero

Decarbonizing the Built Environment on the Path to Our Urban Future

“Every so often, although not often enough, along comes a book that turns the way you look at a topic upside down. Carl Elefante’s Going for Zero is such a book.”

— Michael J. Crosbie, Common Edge

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Today, climate change is driving a retooling of everything to eliminate greenhouse gas pollution. It amounts to a massive undertaking that has the power – and obligation – to address other intransigent threats to peace and prosperity. This urgent agenda for change coincides with the rapid urbanization of global population.

The 21st century is being shaped by the interlocking challenges of the climate, justice, and urban imperatives. The work of architects, and the countless others who design, build, and operate the built environment, has never had greater relevance. But far too many of the accepted approaches to resolving today’s challenges are tethered to the same ideas and practices that created them. Our quest for solutions is constrained by modern-era biases.

Going for Zero offers a decidedly alternative viewpoint informed by Carl Elefante’s career prioritizing the stewardship of existing buildings and applying the lessons embedded in built heritage. It presents a path forward to the secure, just, abundant, and resilient urban future humanity demands.