Construction industry’s CO2 emissions reach all-time high

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

The construction industry's CO2 emissions have rebounded from the pandemic to an all-time high, reveals a shocking new report.

It accounted for over a third of energy demand in 2021 (34 percent) - despite an increase in efficiency investment and lower intensity.

The 2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction was released at the latest round of climate talks in Egypt, COP27.

The sector's operational energy-related CO2 emissions reached ten gigatons of CO2 - five percent over 2020 levels and two percent over the pre-pandemic peak in 2019.

In 2021, operational energy demand for heating, cooling, lighting and equipment in buildings increased by around four percent from 2020 and three percent from 2019.

Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), said: "Years of warnings about the impacts of climate change have become a reality.

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

The report shows that the sector can still change. For example, rising fossil fuel costs, due to the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis, are providing incentives to invest in energy efficiency - although the erosion of purchasing power and the impact of labour and materials may slow investment.

Andersen said: "The solution may lie in governments directing relief towards low and zero-carbon building investment activities through financial and non-financial incentives.

"The buildings sector represents 40 per cent of Europe’s energy demand, 80 per cent 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."

The report from the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction says the gap between the climate performance of the sector and the 2050 decarbonization pathway is widening.

Decarbonizing the buildings sector by 2050 is critical to delivering these cuts. To reduce overall emissions, the sector must improve building energy performance, decrease building materials’ carbon footprint, multiply policy commitments alongside action and increase investment in energy efficiency.

For instance, the sector's emissions intensity in kilograms of CO2 per square meter dropped from 43 in 2015 to 40 in 2021.

Energy intensity in kilowatts per hour per square meter slightly decreased, from 153 in 2015 to 152 in 2021.

Investments in building energy efficiency have gone up by unprecedented levels, rising by 16 percent in 2021, over 2020 levels, to $237 billion (£206bn).

However, growth is outpacing efforts on energy efficiency and reducing energy intensity.

The increase in global gross floor area between 2015 and 2021 is the equivalent to the total land area covered in buildings in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands if it were built on one level, at around 24,000 square km.

The report says investments in energy efficiency must be sustained in the face of growing crises to reduce energy demand.

These include the war in Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis, and the cost-of-living crisis.

The buildings sector represents 40 percent of Europe's energy demand - 80 percent from fossil fuels.

This makes it an area for immediate action, investment and policies to promote short and long-term energy security.

Critical to reducing emissions is including buildings in climate pledges under the Paris Agreement - known as NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) - and mandatory building energy codes.

The number of NDCs that mention buildings grew from 88 in 2015 to 158 in 2021. However, progress on buildings and construction policies and action remains slow.

Over the same period, the number of countries with building energy codes rose from 62 to 79.

However, only 26 percent of countries have mandatory building energy codes for the entire sector.

In Nigeria and other African countries, the raw resource used is predicted to double by 2060.

Steel, concrete and cement are already major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

Materials used in the construction of buildings already account for around nine per cent of overall energy-related CO2 emissions.

Embodied carbon in buildings - the emissions associated with materials and construction processes - needs to be tackled to avoid undermining energy-saving measures.

But the sector can reduce its impact by, for example, looking at alternative materials and decarbonizing conventional materials such as cement.

The African population is expected to reach 2.4 billion in 2050 - with 80 percent of the growth occurring in cities.

An estimated 70 percent of the African building stock expected for 2040 has yet to be erected.

The report suggests sustainable construction materials and design techniques in which the continent is rich.

Africa is also abundant in renewable energy sources, solar and wind, which nations can use to power their buildings sustainably.

The report recommended the building coalitions of national stakeholders to set targets and strategies towards a sustainable, zero-carbon and resilient buildings and construction sector through Buildings Roadmaps.

Following the GlobalABC process and model, more than 30 countries and territories have been developing roadmaps.

It also wants national and sub-national governments to establish mandatory building energy codes and set a pathway for their building codes and standards to achieve net zero as soon as possible.