A report published in ‘Nature’ quantifies the carbon cost of constructing the global built-environment over the past three decades and projects it to 2050. The findings indicate that the global construction carbon footprint has doubled over the past three decades and is projected to more than double by 2050.

In 2022, over half of the construction industry’s carbon emissions stemmed from cementitious materials, bricks, and metals, while glass, plastics, chemicals, and bio-based materials contributed 6%, and the remaining 37% arose from transport, services, machinery, and on-site activities. Under the business-as-usual scenario, the construction carbon footprint alone will exceed the per-annum carbon budget for the 1.5°C and 2°C goals in the next two decades. It will use up all remaining carbon budget for the 1.5°C goal by 2050, as the analysis highlights.

The authors advocate for a material revolution, such as replacing traditional materials with biobased materials, which leverages economies of scale and paves the way for a transformative and sustainable future in construction.