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Building and Construction Factsheet

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26 views2 pages

Building and Construction Factsheet

Uploaded by

salocanar9
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Sectoral Solution to Climate Change

Building and Construction

In 2022, the Buildings and Construction Key messages


sector accounted for 37 per cent of global
operational energy and process-related CO2 ● According to the Global Buildings Climate Tracker, the gap between
the current state and the desired decarbonization path is significant.
emissions, rising to just under 10 Gt CO2. Its
The buildings and construction sector remains off track to achieve
energy consumption reached 132 exajoules, decarbonization by 2050.
more than a third of global demand (UNEP,
2024). ● Buildings energy-related energy demand represents around 27
per cent of global emissions in 2022 and a further 7-9 per cent is
According to the IPCC, building sector estimated to be due to the manufacturing of buildings materials.
mitigation policies can reduce greenhouse
● A typical building already standing or being constructed today will still
gas (GHG) emissions by up to 90 per cent
be in use in 2070 and beyond, but the climate it encounters will have
in developed countries and up to 80 per
changed significantly (GlobalABC, 2021). Rising global temperatures
cent in developing countries, and help lift and extreme weather necessitate increased adaptation and resilience
2.8 billion people in developing countries in building design and operations.
out of energy poverty (IPCC, 2022).
● Investment in building decarbonization exceeded US$285 billion in
It is not possible to achieve the Paris 2022 but is expected to decline in 2023, largely due to a less favorable
Agreement goals without decarbonizing this investment environment due to rising costs.
sector. The climate impact of buildings is
● The renewable share in final energy demand in buildings has
likely to increase in the coming decades due
increased by only 1 percentage point since 2015. To get on track, the
to rapid growth, especially in urban areas in share of renewable energy should increase by 1.5 percentage points
the global south. For example, 70 per cent every year until 2030.
of the buildings projected to exist in 2040 in
Africa have not yet been built (IEA 2019). ● More progress is required on global adoption of mandatory building
energy codes and for existing codes to align to zero emissions.
Buildings and infrastructure not only Since 2021, there have been 17 national code updated or newly
contribute to climate change, but are also developed mandatory national building energy codes. By 2022, only 3
vulnerable to its impacts, whether it’s countries have energy codes aligned with zero emission building (ZEB)
concepts.
hurricanes, flooding, sea level rise, and
heatwaves. With more frequent and severe
climate-related events, the world must Key recommendations (UNEP, 2024):
adopt climate-resilient building practices to ● Countries should develop ambitious and comprehensive Climate
reduce vulnerabilities, particularly in areas Action Roadmaps for the sector by 2030 and use them in submitting
experiencing rapid urban growth. and revising a new cycle of national climate action plans (NDCs).

Buildings of the future need to be ● Developing building codes aligned with Zero-Emissions Building
(ZEB) principles and ensuring the adaptability of new and existing
decarbonized along their lifecycle and
structures to the changing climate.
be increasingly resilient to extreme
weather events and natural disasters. The ● Increasing the rate and impact of retrofitting existing buildings for
built environment is a large part of most energy efficiency, from the current 1 per cent to 5-10 per cent per
economies, accounting for 11-13 per cent year.
of global GDP. Green buildings present
● Adopting passive design measures for all new buildings.
large investment opportunities, worth an
estimated $24.7 trillion by 2030 in emerging ● Collecting data, via tools such as Building Passports.
market cities (IFC, 2019).
Further Reading ● Financial incentives for greater investment in decarbonizing the buildings and
construction sector, including in innovation and a shift to reuse, circularity, natural/
Global Status Report for Buildings bio-based materials, or green mortgages offered by banks: Investments to
and Construction decarbonization are expected to fall across 2023 as households and businesses
face higher borrowing costs and builders face higher costs of construction in labour
Global and regional building
and materials.
decarbonization roadmaps
● Companies in the sector are also encouraged to develop a sound understanding of
Building Materials And The Climate:
their social impacts, by incorporating equity and diversity standards into their work.
Constructing A New Future
● NGOs can raise awareness of buildings’ role in climate change and advocate for
NDC Guide for Buildings and
policy changes towards inclusive and sustainable design approaches.
Construction

10 Key Measures to decarbonize Key data


buildings
● By 2050, 1.6 billion people living in more than 970 cities will be regularly exposed to
NDC Guide for Buildings and extreme high temperatures new: (UNEP, 2021).
Construction
● By 2030 heat stress could cause estimated global economic losses of
Buildings Passport Guide US$ 2.3 trillion due to the demand for cooling, posing serious health threats to
citizens and further exposing infrastructure new: (UNEP, 2021).
A Practical Guide to Climate-resilient
Buildings & Communities ● Between nine and 30 jobs are created for every $1 million invested in renovation
and new construction, one of the highest rates across all sectors new: (UNEP
Guide to buildings and climate GlobalABC, 2020).
change adaptation
● In developing economies, construction materials are set to dominate resource
consumption, with associated emissions expected to double by 2060 (UNEP, 2023).

UNEP contact: ● Globally, investing US$100 million annually in street trees would give 77 million
people a 1°C reduction in maximum temperature on hot days. Urban trees in 10 of
Jonathan Duwyn:
the world’s megacities would generate US$482 million in health cost savings as a
[email protected]
result of the reduction in pollutants new: (UNEP, 2021).

● Infrastructure is responsible for 88 per cent of the forecasted costs for adapting
to climate change. (UNEP source).

● Climate-resilient infrastructure investments in low- and middle-income countries


could produce roughly US$4.2 trillion in total benefits: around US$4 for each dollar
invested (World Bank 2021).

The Sectoral Solution to Climate Change

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