Global efforts to decarbonize the buildings and construction sector are gaining momentum, but significant challenges remain in achieving global climate goals, according to the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024-2025. The report, published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), highlights both progress and areas needing greater ambition, particularly in building energy codes, renewable energy adoption, and financing.

The report underscores the importance of global frameworks like the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate, the Buildings Breakthrough, and the Chaillot Declaration in driving climate action within the buildings sector. The Chaillot Declaration, in particular, emphasizes the transformative potential of addressing climate change through building practices, with leaders acknowledging that the buildings where we live, work, and shop contribute significantly to global emissions and waste.

"The buildings where we work, shop and live account for a third of global emissions and a third of global waste,” said the Executive Director of Unep Inger Andersen. The good news is that government actions are working. But we must do more and do it faster. I encourage all countries to include plans to rapidly cut emissions from buildings and construction in their new NDCs.”

Kenya, a member of GlobalABC, recently launched its Building Code 2024, operational from March 1, 2025. This code aims to foster innovation, ensure safety, and enhance sustainability in the built environment. Alice Wahome, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, welcomed the Global Status Report, emphasizing its role in establishing quantifiable targets and guiding Kenya’s transformative initiatives in alignment with global climate objectives.

A key finding of the report is that 2024 marked the first year where the growth of building construction was decoupled from greenhouse gas emissions. Since the Paris Agreement in 2015, the sector has seen a reduction in energy intensity by almost 10% and an increase in renewable energy share by nearly 5%. These gains are attributed to the adoption of mandatory building energy codes, performance standards, and energy efficiency investments. Additional measures such as circular construction practices, green leases, and the use of low-carbon materials can further reduce energy consumption and emissions.

Despite these advancements, the building sector remains a major contributor to climate change, consuming 32% of global energy and accounting for 34% of global CO2 emissions. The need for decarbonization is amplified by urban population growth and rising incomes. The United Nations Environment Programme Emissions Gap Report (2024) stresses the urgency of accelerated action in the building sector to meet global climate goals. To align with a 1.5°C climate pathway, the building sector needs to achieve significant mitigation potential by 2035, equivalent to 4.2 GtCO₂e of avoided emissions.

The sector's reliance on materials like cement and steel, responsible for 18% of global emissions, and construction waste, further complicates the challenge. With nearly half of the world’s buildings that will exist by 2050 yet to be built, the adoption of ambitious energy building codes is critical. However, the report notes a decline in effective measures like heat pump installations and a lack of building code coverage for over 50% of new floor space in emerging economies.

The report challenges major carbon-emitting countries to adopt zero-carbon building energy codes by 2028, with all other countries following suit by 2035. Integrating building code reform plans into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is crucial for achieving the COP28 Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge. Major carbon-emitting countries, including the G20 and the European Union, must adopt mandatory zero-carbon building energy codes by 2028, while countries with existing codes should upgrade to zero-carbon-ready standards by 2030. Countries without codes must establish a pathway to mandatory adoption by 2035.

Despite growing awareness, the sector is not on track, with limited policy enforcement hindering progress towards zero-carbon goals. Governments, financial institutions, and businesses need to collaborate to double global building energy efficiency investment from Sh3.4 trillion to Sh67 trillion by 2030.