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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has sounded the alarm over the building sector's contribution to global carbon emissions. Despite some positive signs from recent policy interventions, buildings still account for a third of worldwide CO2 emissions and energy consumption. A UNEP report highlighted that progress is falling far short of the levels needed to meet 2030 climate goals. The report calls for nations to swiftly intensify efforts by improving energy efficiency, advancing green construction practices, accelerating renewable energy adoption, and introducing zero-carbon building codes. Financial investment in sustainable buildings is also lagging and needs significant scaling.
Nations must urgently scale up their efforts to slash carbon emissions from buildings, which account for nearly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a warning issued by the United Nations earlier this week. Advertisement
In a recent report, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) revealed that carbon dioxide emissions from the building sector surged by around 5 per cent over the past decade whereas they were expected to fall by 28 per cent during this period.
While emissions have stabilised since 2023, driven by climate policies such as green building standards, electrified heating and cooling systems, and renewable energy integration, the sector still consumes 32 per cent of the world's energy and generates 34 per cent of global CO2 emissions.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen emphasized that the buildings where people live, work, and shop contribute significantly not only to emissions but also to global waste. She noted that although government initiatives are beginning to yield results, much more needs to be done and at a faster pace. Andersen urged governments to integrate specific targets for rapid emissions reductions from buildings and construction into their national climate strategies.
Despite nearly 200 countries having signed the 2015 Paris Agreement, the report found that only 19 nations have embedded sufficiently detailed building sector goals in their carbon reduction plans. UNEP further stated that as of last year, progress on critical markers such as renewable energy uptake and reductions in energy-related emissions remains well below the necessary trajectory.
The situation now calls for a drastic acceleration. According to UNEP, direct and indirect CO2 emissions from the sector must fall by over 10 percent annually, more than twice the pace initially projected.
The report also highlighted sluggish renewable energy deployment. Since 2015, renewables like solar and wind have only increased their share in final energy consumption by 4.5 percentage points, far short of the targeted 18 percentage points. UNEP stressed that the rate of renewables adoption needs to increase sevenfold to meet this decade's target of tripling global renewable energy usage.
To meet 2030 targets, the share of renewables in the global energy mix must rise to approximately 46 per cent, an increase of around 18 percentage points, UNEP advised.
In the past year, global investment in energy efficiency in buildings dropped by 7 percent to USD 270 billion, largely due to rising borrowing costs and scaled-back government support schemes, particularly across Europe. To stay on track for climate targets, this investment will need to double, reaching USD 522 billion by 2030, the report concluded.
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