The building sector is lagging behind when it comes to climate protection: Despite increasing investments in energy efficiency, CO2 emissions from buildings reached a new high in 2021. The existing buildings worldwide alone were responsible for ten gigatonnes of CO2 emissions. This is the conclusion of this year's Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction by the UN Environment Program. There are also other emissions from the building sector, for example for materials such as steel, concrete and cement. The expert commission recommends prioritizing energy efficiency and sustainable materials even more than before in order to meet the climate targets.
Existing and newly erected buildings are responsible for high CO2 emissions: Buildings require energy for heating, cooling, lighting and equipment during ongoing operation. In most cases, their construction also requires materials such as steel, concrete and cement, which are also very energy-intensive to extract and manufacture. In order to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement, the building sector is to be decarbonised by 2050. On the occasion of the UN climate conference taking place from November 6th to 18th in Egypt, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has now published the report "2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction", which presents the developments in the sector and makes recommendations.
Surpassed 2019 peak
According to the report, emissions from buildings hit a new high of 10 gigatonnes of CO2 in 2021 - two percent above the previous peak in 2019 and five percent above 2020 levels, when emissions had fallen slightly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This widens the gap between the desired path of decarbonization and the actual emissions of the sector.
"Years of warnings about the effects of climate change have become a reality," writes UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen in the foreword to the report. “In 2022, we experienced heat waves around the world. We saw wildfires destroying forests, homes and life. We have seen droughts that threaten the food security of millions of people. If we don't cut emissions quickly in line with the Paris Agreement, we will be in even bigger trouble.”
Positive and negative trends
The report shows both positive and negative trends: for example, energy demand and emissions per square meter in the building sector decreased slightly compared to 2015, mainly thanks to investments in more energy-efficient technologies in buildings. These investments increased 16 percent from 2020, to $237 billion. At the same time, however, the total built-up area increased to an extent that caused significantly higher CO2 emissions than were saved by energy efficiency measures: in 2021 all buildings in the world covered 242,000 square kilometers. That's about the size of Great Britain. Compared to 2015, the global building area increased by 24,000 square kilometers, more than half the area of Switzerland.
The building sector currently accounts for 40 percent of Europe's energy requirements; 80 percent of this has so far been generated by fossil fuels. "This makes the sector an area where immediate action, investment and strategy are needed to promote near- and long-term energy security," the report said. According to the authors, the topic is gaining in importance in view of the war in Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis. Andersen sees the energy crisis as an opportunity and a challenge at the same time: "For example, rising costs for fossil fuels make further investments in energy efficiency more attractive - even if the loss of purchasing power could slow down investments."
Recommendations for a sustainable future
The authors see a possible solution in governments creating incentives for investments in low-emission buildings through financial and non-financial relief. They also recommend binding building energy regulations. So far, this only exists in 26 countries, including Germany. For further savings, it is also important to reduce the CO2 footprint of building materials and to increasingly use sustainable, low-emission materials. The authors recommend that coalitions of national interest groups form to develop goals and strategies for a sustainable building sector.
“We are running out of time to tackle our planet's triple crisis of climate change, pollution, and loss of nature and biodiversity,” writes Andersen. “And yes, the building sector is not doing enough to change. But by following the recommendations in this report, the sector can catch up and create buildings that are carbon-free, resource-efficient and resilient.”
Source: 2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and ConstructionUnited Nations Environment Programme