Gokul Iyer is an Earth scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI), a partnership between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the University of Maryland. Iyer is a team leader for the Human-Earth Systems Science: Analysis team within JGCRI. Iyer has over a decade of experience in integrated modeling of energy, economy, climate, water, agriculture, and land systems at global to national to subnational scales. Iyer has a vast publishing record of over 70 peer-reviewed publications with more than a dozen in top journals, such as Science and the Nature family of journals. Iyer was also a contributing author to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Iyer has a Ph.D. in Environmental Policy from the University of Maryland, a Master’s degree in Energy Systems Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology- Bombay, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology – Nagpur.
Achieving Net-Zero GHG Emissions of Saudi Arabia by 2060: The Transformation of the Building Sector
In this paper, an economy-wide, net-zero pathway that enables Saudi Arabia to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060 is investigated, with a specific focus on the critical role played by the building sector. An exploration is undertaken of the significance of energy efficiency measures, the circular carbon economy framework and the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center’s instrumental contributions in reducing energy demand and GHG emissions within the building sector. An integrated assessment modeling approach is used in this study to provide a comprehensive view of the long-term impacts of these measures. The findings underscore that by 2060, economic growth and population increase will necessitate the doubling of floor space in Saudi Arabia. Continuing the air conditioning labeling program could yield annual savings of up to 80 TWh.
25th March 2024
