Global_CO2 emissions from buildings and construction break new annual record

Greenhouse gas emissions related to buildings and construction reached a new all-time high in 2021, recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic despite increased investment in energy efficiency and lower energy intensity.

This is contained in the latest annual report made by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and released on Wednesday coinciding with the 27th Climate Summit -known as COP27-, held in Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt).

The report highlights that the buildings and construction sector accounted for more than 34% of energy demand and around 37% of energy-related_CO2 emissions last year.

The sector’s energy-related CO2 emissions reached 10 gigatonnes of_CO2 equivalent, up 5% _{from 2020 and up 2% from the pre-pandemic peak in 2019.}

In 2021, the demand for operational energy for heating, cooling, lighting and equipment in buildings increased by 4% from 2020 and 3% from 2019. These figures mean that the gap between the sector’s climate performance and the climate decarbonisation path by 2050 is widening.

“Years of warnings about the impacts of climate change have come true,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP’s executive director, adding: “If we don’t quickly reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, we will be in more serious trouble.”

According to Andersen, the buildings sector accounts for 40% of Europe’s energy demand, 80% of which comes from fossil fuels, making the sector a potential area to promote energy security in the short and long term.

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To reduce total emissions, the sector must improve the energy performance of buildings, reduce the carbon footprint of building materials, multiply political commitments alongside action and increase investment in energy efficiency.

On the other hand, the increase in the overall built area between 2015 and 2021 is equivalent to the total area covered by buildings in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands; If it were built on a single floor, it would cover around 24,000 square kilometers.

According to the report, investments in energy efficiency must be maintained in the face of growing crises, such as the war in Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis, and the cost-of-living crisis, in order to reduce energy demand, avoid CO emissions.₂ and dampening volatility in energy costs.

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

“The solution may lie in governments directing investment activities in low-carbon or zero-carbon buildings through financial and non-financial incentives,” Andersen said.

It is also essential to reduce emissions from the sector to include buildings in national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and mandatory energy codes for buildings.

The number of national climate plans mentioning buildings increased from 88 in 2015 to 158 in 2021. However, progress on building and construction policies and actions remains slow. In that period, the number of countries with energy codes for construction increased from 62 to 79, but only 26% have mandatory energy codes for construction for the entire sector.

On the other hand, the report predicts that the use of raw resources will double by 2060 and notes that steel, concrete and cement are already the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The materials used in building construction already account for around 9% of total energy-related CO2 emissions.

AFRICA

The use of alternative materials is particularly relevant for Africa. Africa’s population is expected to reach 2.4 billion people by 2050 and 80% of this growth will occur in cities.

To avoid rising emissions while building the stock needed to move people out of informal settlements and create buildings resilient to the impacts of climate change, the African sector must look for sustainable building materials and design techniques, of which the continent is rich.

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

Source: The Vanguard