A new UN report reveals that in 2024, the building sector successfully decoupled its greenhouse gas emissions from continued growth in floor space. The Global Status Report for Building and Construction highlights a significant shift, as emissions stopped rising despite increased construction activity, breaking years of stagnation.
The only other year recorded when emissions stopped rising was 2020, which was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the report describes the steps taken to cut emissions from buildings to date as ‘insufficient’ and ‘tentative’, considering the global scale of the business sustainability challenge.
Buildings account for approximately one-third of global emissions yearly across their lifecycle, including operation, materials, and construction. The UN report emphasises that efforts to make buildings more energy-efficient and increase the use of clean energy for cooling, cooking, and heating are not aligned with 2030 targets.
Global energy investment in building energy efficiency has decreased since 2022, and just 17 percent of the total energy demand in buildings was met by renewables in 2024. Moreover, around 46.4 percent of demand must be met by clean energy in 2030. In 2024, absolute emissions from building operations were 5.4 percent higher than when the Paris Agreement was ratified in 2015. Nations had been encouraged to strive for a 28.1 percent reduction by 2030 against this baseline.
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Call for policy interventions
To achieve the full range of UN-backed 2030 targets, annual improvements must accelerate to almost twice the rate required in 2015. Therefore, the UN report provides some recommendations to policymakers ahead of COP30, which will take place in November 2025.
Unlocking progress will require setting a clear strategic vision and securing investment. On a cumulative basis, investment in greening buildings has been $1.1 trillion lower since 2015 than needed. The report also emphasises that 80 percent of UN member states flag the importance of decarbonising the built environment in their official Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
However, less than 20 percent include quantifiable targets or offer in-depth actions. Ultimately, preparations for COP30 present an opportunity to lay out plans. The UN report calls for the below policies to be included in NDCs going forward:
- Adopting zero-carbon-ready energy codes for buildings by 2030 in other countries with existing codes.
- Introducing mandatory zero-carbon energy codes for buildings by 2028 in high-emitting countries.
- Implementing a pathway of mandatory zero-carbon energy codes for buildings by 2035 in all other markets.
- Establishing limits to embodied carbon in building codes in high-emission nations by 2030.
- Stretching targets to encourage the use of low-carbon materials and prioritise reuse, supported by Extender Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules.
- Increasing government funding in retrofitting, designed in a manner that unlocks private investment.
- Fully accounting for the carbon cost and social value benefits of financially supporting building decarbonisation, to build the business case.
Conclusion
This UN report serves as a critical call to action, highlighting that while progress has been made in decoupling emissions from construction growth, current efforts remain insufficient to meet 2030 climate targets. To stay on track, policy changes must be part of comprehensive, long-term roadmaps that drive emissions reductions while improving resilience in the built environment.
As COP30 approaches, the global focus must shift toward securing investment, setting clear regulatory pathways, and ensuring robust implementation. The opportunity to reshape the future of the built environment is within reach, but only through coordinated, ambitious policy interventions can nations unlock the full potential of low-carbon, resilient buildings.
