Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction - Beyond foundations: Mainstreaming sustainable solutions to cut emissions from the buildings sector

United Nations 3 months ago

The Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction (Buildings-GSR), published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), provides an annual snapshot of the progress of the buildings and construction sector on a global scale. The Buildings-GSR reviews the status of policies, finance, technologies and solutions to monitor whether the sector is aligned with the Paris Agreement goals. The Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024-2025 - Not just another brick in the wall highlights progress made on related global climate goals and calls for greater ambition on six challenges, including building energy codes, renewable energy, and financing. Global frameworks and initiatives such as Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate, the Buildings Breakthrough and the Declaration de Chaillot are sustaining momentum towards adopting ambitious climate action plans, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), for net-zero buildings ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil. Despite this progress, the 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. The sector is dependent on materials like cement and steel that are responsible for 18% of global emissions and are a major source of construction waste.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 9 hours ago



The global construction sector is transitioning from ambition to measurable delivery, with sustainable construction becoming integral to both policy and practice. The UK–Japan investment partnership underscores this evolution through targeted funding for offshore wind and nuclear power, recognising that grid networks must modernise in tandem with clean generation. These efforts strengthen energy security while advancing decarbonising the built environment and reducing the carbon footprint of construction across its entire value chain.

Across Britain, solar installations on public estates are embedding renewable generation into everyday infrastructure, showing that energy-efficient buildings are no longer aspirational but fundamental to sustainable urban development. Analysts argue that redirecting fossil-fuel subsidies towards sustainable building design could accelerate progress toward net zero whole life carbon targets and reduce the whole life carbon impact of civic assets. This reinforces the need for whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment in all public projects, ensuring transparency in life cycle cost, embodied carbon, and end-of-life reuse in construction.

The industry’s digital transformation is driving resource efficiency in construction, as platforms such as Digital Construction Week highlight the potential of data-driven eco-design for buildings. Organisations adopting circular economy in construction models report improved building lifecycle performance and measurable reductions in embodied carbon in materials. Certification frameworks like BREEAM and BREEAM v7 are embedding quantifiable environmental sustainability in construction, linking design intent to operational carbon outcomes.

A coherent policy environment that favours sustainable material specification, low carbon construction materials, and green building products is essential to achieving carbon neutral construction. Governments and developers are increasingly evaluating low embodied carbon materials through environmental product declarations (EPDs) and promoting circular construction strategies that minimise waste and encourage reuse within a circular economy. The emphasis on low-impact construction and green infrastructure is reshaping how cities grow, supporting sustainable architecture and eco-friendly construction as standard.

Across the built environment, professionals are converging on a shared goal: to deliver net zero carbon buildings through sustainable design and life cycle thinking in construction. The sector is shifting from promise to performance, embracing sustainable building practices that reduce embodied carbon, support carbon footprint reduction, and enable the creation of greener, more resilient infrastructure for future generations.

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