UN hails rare climate success story as emissions from construction stop rising

2024 represents only non-pandemic year when building emissions have stalled – but will the progress last?

Emissions from the building and construction sector have stopped rising for the first time since 2020, a new United Nations report says.

The annual review from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), published on Monday, showed global emissions from construction in 2024 remained at the same rate as in 2023, despite continued urbanisation.

The stagnation in emissions comes less than five years from a crucial global climate deadline to reduce emissions. However, the UN warned the progress towards 2030 goals still remains alarmingly slow.

“The buildings where we work, shop, and live account for a third of global emissions and a third of global waste,” UNEP’s executive director, Inger Andersen, said. “The good news is that government actions are working. But we must do more and do it faster.”

Historically, increased construction activity has been closely linked to rising greenhouse gas emissions, primarily because the industry relies heavily on carbon-intensive materials such as cement and steel.

The report found that stronger energy efficiency measures and the introduction of stricter building codes are starting to pay off. Over the past year, the energy intensity of the global building sector has dropped by nearly 10 per cent, while the share of renewable energy use has risen by almost 5 per cent.

However, the report also highlighted a glaring gap: around half of all new buildings worldwide are still constructed without mandatory energy codes. These codes are critical policy tools for ensuring that new buildings meet minimum energy efficiency standards and significantly reduce emissions over their lifespan.

This gap is especially pronounced in emerging economies, where more than half of new construction remains outside regulatory frameworks designed to limit emissions. Given that half the world’s buildings expected by 2050 have yet to be constructed, the lack of stringent standards could lock in decades of unnecessary emissions, making global climate goals out of reach.

The UN report sets out targets for governments to accelerate this action. It calls on major carbon-emitting nations to adopt mandatory zero-carbon building codes by 2028, with all other countries following no later than 2035. These energy codes would require new buildings to produce zero net emissions, cutting future greenhouse gas output.

The report further stresses the need to move beyond incremental changes. It calls for large-scale shifts to renewable energy sources and greater investment in circular construction practices. Such practices include using materials more efficiently, extending building lifespans, and improving recycling and reuse strategies to cut waste and pollution.

The UN report highlights financing and workforce skill gaps as critical barriers holding back progress. To close these gaps, it recommends that governments and private sector investors adopt Extended Producer Responsibility measures, promoting material reuse, recycling, and longer-lasting construction methods.

The new findings come in a year when countries are expected to present updated climate action plans and targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), ahead of this year’s UN Climate Conference (COP30), set to take place in Belem, Brazil, later this year.

With buildings still consuming 32 per cent of global energy and responsible for 34 per cent of global emissions, experts say a shift toward cleaner, greener construction methods is not only necessary but urgent.

“I encourage all countries to include plans to rapidly cut emissions from buildings and construction in their new NDCs,” Ms Andersen said.