Global construction sector GHG emissions reach all-time high: UNEP

A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has found that the global construction industry has seen greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reach an all-time high.

Emissions from building operations in the construction sector have hit two percent higher than the industry’s pre-pandemic peak, accounting for over 34 percent of energy demand and 37 percent of energy and process-related CO₂ emissions in 2021.

The UNEP’s 2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction reveals that emerging economies have seen a higher uptake of fossil fuel gases in buildings, with building energy demand increasing by 4 percent from 2020, the largest increase in a decade.

According to the report’s foreword by Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and executive director of the UN Environment Programme, “Building sector energy intensity did not improve in 2021 and renewable energy growth in buildings remains modest, although green building certification are improving.

“Raw resource use is predicted to double by 2060 – with construction materials such as concrete and steel already major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.”

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic causing a drop in demand for construction, resulting in the largest documented emissions drop in the last decade, as the world returned to work and construction projects recommenced, the rebound in CO2 emissions was swift.

The report reveals a misalignment between the necessary decarbonisation pathway for construction and the sector’s climate performance.

According to the report, “The latest assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the mitigation working group (AR6 WGIII) sent a clear message that the buildings and construction industry offer significant global mitigation potential for reaching the Paris Agreement.

“Greater political and organisational leadership is needed to further prioritise and implement actions that support the decarbonisation and sustainability transition of the built environment and transformation of construction materials production.”

The report delivers key recommendations to decarbonise construction, including the need to build coalitions of national stakeholders for target and strategy setting for zero carbon and resilient buildings.

The UNEP also recommends that governments set mandatory building and energy codes, implement policies that promote circular economies, as well as increase investment in energy efficiency and energy efficient supply chains.

“Years of warnings about the impacts of climate change have become a reality,” said Andersen

“If we do not rapidly cut emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, we will be in deeper trouble.

"The buildings sector represents 40 percent of Europe’s energy demand, 80 percent of it from fossil fuels. This makes the sector an area for immediate action, investment, and policies to promote short and long-term energy security.”