Enviro News Asia, Nairobi — United Nations Environment Programme and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction have warned that decarbonisation efforts in the global buildings and construction sector are slowing, increasing climate risks, energy vulnerabilities, and pressure on housing affordability worldwide.
The warning was published in the tenth edition of the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction (2025–2026) released on 19 May 2026. The report evaluates global progress toward achieving a net-zero emissions pathway in the building sector by 2050 through indicators covering policy, finance, technology, and investment.
According to the report, the buildings and construction sector currently accounts for 37 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, 28 percent of global energy consumption, and nearly half of global material extraction.
The report also highlighted the rapid pace of urban expansion worldwide. Every day, approximately 12.7 million square metres of new floor space are added globally — nearly equivalent to constructing the city of Paris every week.
In 2024, total global building floor area expanded by 1.7 percent, reaching 273 billion square metres, driven largely by rapid construction growth in emerging economies, including India and Southeast Asia.
Executive Director of UNEP, Inger Andersen, stressed that buildings play a central role in both climate risks and climate solutions.
“Buildings can either lock in climate risks or deliver safer, healthier, and more affordable living conditions,” Andersen stated.
She emphasized that with half of the world’s buildings expected to be constructed or renovated before 2050, governments have a critical opportunity to accelerate zero-emission and climate-resilient construction through stronger regulations, investments, and building standards.
The report noted several areas of progress since 2015. Global building energy intensity has declined by 8.5 percent, while green building certifications have nearly tripled worldwide. Investment in energy efficiency reached USD 275 billion in 2024, contributing to a cumulative global investment of USD 2.3 trillion since 2015.
However, UNEP warned that progress has slowed significantly since 2020 because the transition toward green buildings has failed to keep pace with accelerating construction growth.
Renewable energy currently supplies only 17.3 percent of global building energy demand, far below the level required to meet net-zero targets.
To align the sector with global climate goals, the report estimates that investment in building energy efficiency must reach USD 5.9 trillion by 2030, or approximately USD 592 billion annually.
The report also highlighted several positive examples from different regions. The European Union has introduced policies addressing both operational and embodied emissions from buildings, while countries such as Japan and Switzerland have improved building energy performance standards.
Other examples include growth in on-site renewable energy deployment in Australia, Germany, India, and Pakistan, along with updated building energy codes in California, Kenya, Japan, and Singapore.
The report further noted that countries including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Ghana, and Senegal have developed national roadmaps to support sustainable transformation in the building sector.
UNEP and GlobalABC stated that they will continue supporting governments through data improvement, policy guidance, and technical assistance to accelerate climate action in buildings while addressing affordability and social equity challenges. (*)
