Buildings

Construct zero-carbon buildings

Photo by Chiara Guercio via Unsplash

Addressing the emissions embodied in building materials provides a unique opportunity to drive progress across systems. Embodied emissions can be reduced by changing the way we design and construct buildings, improving material efficiency and using alternative building materials.

Understanding carbon emissions from building construction

The construction of new buildings contributed 10% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2022. These emissions, sometimes referred to as “embodied emissions,” come from the construction process itself as well as the emissions associated with producing the materials used in buildings, including cement and steel, aluminum, bricks and glass. Analyzing these emissions reveals connections between buildings, the power system (particularly the supply of energy for material manufacturing), the industry system (particularly the manufacturing of cement and steel for use in buildings) and the circular economy system (particularly the reuse of building materials and waste).

Strategies to reduce embodied emissions from building construction

There is an opportunity to maximize the impact of decarbonizing the material itself to make progress in reducing emissions from heavy industry and the embodied emissions of buildings. At the same time, reducing the amount of steel, cement and other building materials needed for a particular building will also help reduce embodied emissions from buildings. Both approaches, as well as using alternative materials, will be necessary to drive rapid declines in embodied emissions.

The importance of decarbonizing building operations

Much of the current effort to decarbonize buildings is focused on either reducing operational energy use or decarbonizing equipment, and both are important. As a result of the lack of focus on embodied emissions, data to assess progress is sparse. Many actors involved in the construction and operation of buildings can help reduce embodied emissions: chiefly, architects and engineers in the design phase, property owners and manufacturers in the procurement phase and developers and construction companies in the construction and demolition phases.

Cities and Buildings in Transition

Watch this recording where global leaders discuss the current state of our cities and the built environment, as well as what action is needed in this critical decade and beyond.

Tracking progress on global outcomes

Key enablers and barriers to change

Data challenges

Embodied emissions are not well studied and the data deficit on whole life carbon emissions is a barrier to tracking progress (all of the indicators for this shift are classified as “Insufficient Data”). Even when data is available, it can be difficult to attribute emissions to individual buildings, especially if the construction process is not well documented.

If building owners and managers are encouraged to track the performance of their buildings, it can help make the data collection and aggregation process more manageable. One proposed method for this is the “building passport” model, which encourages actors in the construction and operation of a building to collect data at every step, store it in a repository and share it with fellow stakeholders. 

Other shift Other shifts needed to transform the system

Optimize building energy consumption

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Reducing the energy demand from buildings through behavior change, passive design strategies and energy-efficient appliances can mitigate emissions, lessen energy poverty and increase resilience and energy security — all while creating new jobs.

Decarbonize building energy use

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To decarbonize the world’s buildings, every energy service we use — including heating, cooling, cooking, lighting, and powering electronics and appliances — should be delivered by highly efficient systems powered by zero-carbon electricity.