Construction sector must reduce CO2 emissions faster, says UN Environment

Construction, one of the most energy-intensive and CO2-emitting sectors, is making efforts to meet the decarbonization targets of the Paris Agreement, but they remain insufficient, the UN Environment noted in a report on Monday, March 17.

The annual Global State of Buildings and Construction Report, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), notes progress. In 2024, the sector's CO2 emissions will have declined for the first time since 2020.

By adopting binding energy performance standards, the building sector (construction and maintenance) reduced its energy consumption by 10% between 2015 - the year of COP21 in Paris - and 2023. However, these efforts fall short of the targets: the sector should have reduced its consumption by 18,2% to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, as set out in the Paris Agreement.

The sector consumes 32% of global energy and contributes to 34% of CO2 emissions, with cement and steel causing 18% of emissions, the authors point out.

The share of renewable energy, which represents 17% of the sector's energy consumption (mainly for heating and air conditioning), increased by only 5% between 2015 and 2023, compared to a target of 18%.

Worse, over this period, CO2 emissions from construction increased by 5,4% instead of falling by 28,1%.

"The buildings where we work, shop, and live account for one-third of global emissions and one-third of global waste," UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen points out in the report. Yet, "half of the world's new buildings are not subject to any energy regulations."

While 80% of the 193 countries that signed the Paris Agreement include this sector in their emissions targets, only 18% have quantified targets and only 19 states have detailed strategies.

France is the only country with mandatory targets for achieving zero carbon in buildings, while the United States and Canada have non-binding standards.

The authors call on all major emitters (G20 members) to take zero-carbon building measures by 2028 and other countries by 2035.

The report, stressing that financing remains the "critical challenge," calls for nearly doubling global investment by 2030, from $270 billion (€249 billion) to $522 billion (€480 billion).

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.