
Towering buildings are not just a romantic part of city skylines. They are also an urban necessity as they lodge people and offices in proximity of other facilities. Indeed, some of the structures become iconic feature of city life and a matter of pride for cities and nations.
However, like so many other things in life buildings have also been a subject of examination since climate change imperatives demand adapting to new realities as more and more parts of the world urbanize with large infrastructural changes.
The latest edition of the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction reveals that construction and operation of buildings around the world account for one-third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
Challenges
Published jointly by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, the 2024-2025 report says the amount of building floor space is expected to double by 2050, with many of the additions coming in developing and emerging economies.
The building and construction industry account for 32 per cent of global energy consumption and 34 per cent of carbon dioxide emission, more than transport and agriculture.
The challenge is to meet the goals set out in the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Hopeful developments
The report share some good news. For instance in 2023, “emissions plateaued, even though emerging and developing countries added 51 billion square meters of new floor space, an area almost 500 times the size of Paris,” the UN said.
Among the hopeful developments is the trend that buildings are becoming more efficient: the amount of energy consumed per square meter globally fell by 10 per cent between 2015 and 2023.
Another dimension pointing to progress is the finding that the share of renewable energy used in buildings jumped 5 percentage points.
Nevertheless, these numbers are far short of the Paris Agreement-related targets set for the industry.
“The sector is making progress, but given the scale and rapid advance of the climate crisis, emissions need to drop faster,” says Gulnara Roll, Chief of UNEP’s Climate Change Mitigation Branch.
Recommendations
Experts recommend building energy codes as a way to reduce emissions. According to the report a growing number of countries are using building codes as a cost-effective way to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that come from the operation of buildings.
Some 85 countries now have these codes, which cover things such as energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy. But of nearly 51 billion square meters of floor space newly constructed in emerging and developing economies, over 50 per cent remains uncovered by building codes.
Secondly, the world needs to embrace building materials that are more climate friendly
The production of materials like cement and steel is responsible for 18 per cent of building-related carbon dioxide emissions, as per the report.
“To change that, countries need to develop a more circular construction industry. In practical terms, that can mean using recycled construction materials and retrofitting instead of demolishing older buildings.
“At the same time, the world must radically decarbonize conventional materials, such as concrete, steel, aluminum and cement,” Gulnara Rolls says.
Thirdly, in some parts of the world, traditional building practices have a lot to offer, particularly in countries in the African region where 70 per cent of the building stock expected by 2040 has not yet been constructed. Africa as a region is rich in sustainable materials—from bamboo to termite mound soil—and has a long history of using construction techniques that provide natural heating and cooling, saving money and energy.
Fourthly, the report calls for investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and buildings now will save money in the long run.
“Efficient buildings are one of the biggest investment opportunities across emerging-market cities, as they will be worth an estimated US$24.7 trillion by 2030. For every US$1 million invested in retrofits and efficiency measures in new construction, an estimated nine to 30 jobs are created.”
Fifthly, energy efficiency measures could save households globally US$201 billion annually by 2040 on electricity and gas, according to the International Energy Agency.
“Builders also benefit from higher property values when buildings meet green certification and labeling requirements that align with energy codes.”