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

United Nations 7 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 5 hours ago



The UK approval of National Grid’s 2GW Sea Link between Suffolk and Kent strengthens the foundations for sustainable construction by expanding access to cleaner electricity for energy-efficient buildings, electrified heat and low carbon building operation. The 138km high-voltage undersea connection, designed to supply the equivalent of two million homes, supports net zero carbon buildings and sustainable urban development by reducing grid constraints that limit renewable integration across the built environment.

WRAP’s estimate that stronger circular economy action could unlock more than £93bn in gross value added and support 550,000 jobs places circular economy in construction at the centre of economic policy. Resource efficiency in construction, end-of-life reuse in construction, circular construction strategies and sustainable material specification are becoming commercial priorities. The sector’s focus is shifting from isolated green building products to whole life carbon, embodied carbon and whole life carbon assessment across design, procurement, construction, operation and deconstruction.

Developers, contractors and investors face sharper scrutiny of the carbon footprint of construction, embodied carbon in materials and the environmental impact of construction. Low carbon design, eco-design for buildings, lifecycle assessment and life cycle cost modelling are now essential to credible sustainable building design. Demand is rising for low carbon construction materials, low embodied carbon materials, renewable building materials, green building materials and environmental product declarations (epds) that prove performance rather than rely on marketing claims.

Global biodiversity negotiations show that environmental sustainability in construction now extends beyond net zero carbon. Nature risk, harmful subsidies, finance and scientific evidence are becoming part of investment decisions. BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and other assessment frameworks will increase pressure for sustainable building practices, building lifecycle performance and life cycle thinking in construction. The competitive advantage will sit with projects that deliver net zero whole life carbon, carbon footprint reduction, green infrastructure and resilient low-impact construction through measurable sustainable design.

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