Building Sector Emissions Remaining Steady Since 2020 as per United Nations Report

The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), a leading global platform for all built environment stakeholders, has published a report highlighting progress made on global climate goals related to buildings and construction. The report, titled "Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024-2025," was jointly published by the GlobalABC and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The report finds that 2023 was the first year when continued growth of building construction was decoupled from associated sector greenhouse gas emissions. This progress is attributed to the adoption of mandatory building energy codes aligned with net-zero emissions, mandatory performance standards, and seizing energy efficiency investments. These measures have reduced the sector's energy intensity by almost 10 per cent and increased the renewable energy share in final energy demand by nearly 5 per cent.

However, the buildings and construction sector remains a key driver of the climate crisis, consuming 32 per cent of global energy and contributing to 34 per cent of global CO2 emissions. To address this, the report sets out a challenge to major carbon-emitting countries to adopt zero-carbon building energy codes by 2028, to be followed by all other countries no later than 2035. Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have already set binding targets to implement zero-CO2 building energy regulations for new constructions by 2028 and for all other buildings by 2035.

The report also emphasises the need for workforce development programmes to fill skill gaps in the sector. Given nearly half of the world's buildings that will exist by 2050 have not yet been built, the adoption of ambitious energy building codes is critical. UNEP, GlobalABC members, and other partners will continue to support countries and businesses to decarbonise new and existing buildings and the entire building value chain.

The GlobalABC, which includes countries as members, was founded at COP21 and is hosted by UNEP. It currently has 291 members, including 42 countries. The alliance is committed to a zero-emission, efficient, and resilient buildings and construction sector.

The sector is dependent on materials like cement and steel that are responsible for 18 per cent of global emissions and are a major source of construction waste. Adoption of Extended Producer Responsibility measures, and circular economy practices are key to help bridge gaps in financing for the buildings and construction sector.

All governments, financial institutions, and businesses need to work together to double global building energy efficiency investment from USD 270 billion to USD 522 billion by 2030. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), a global leader in environmental matters, promoting environmental care and sustainability for future generations, will continue to play a crucial role in this endeavour.

In conclusion, while progress has been made in decoupling building construction growth from greenhouse gas emissions, there is still much work to be done to address the climate crisis in the buildings and construction sector. The GlobalABC, with its 291 members, including 42 countries, will continue to work towards a zero-emission, efficient, and resilient buildings and construction sector, calling for greater ambition on six challenges.

Building Sector Emissions Remaining Steady Since 2020 as per United Nations Report