But do they need to look like this?!

Energy efficient buildings are vital to sustainability guardian.co.uk

• By 2050 Earth's population will have grown by 3 billion
• Now is the time to build energy efficient buildings

With the global population set to grow by 3 billion by 2050, now is the time to invest in energy efficient buildings. Photograph: Alamy

In the coming decades, our planet will be a very different place. By 2050, there will be an additional 3 billion people on Earth and 70% of the world's population will be living in cities. While many things about the future remain unclear, one thing is certain: more people in urban areas means an increased demand for new buildings. And unless we change the incredibly inefficient nature of today's buildings, it means an unprecedented increase in energy use. It's a ticking time bomb. The fact is we can no longer ignore the 800-pound gorilla in the room – our inefficient buildings consume 40% of the world's energy and are responsible for nearly the same amount of emitted carbon – more than in the transportation or industrial sectors.