Paving the Way for Sustainable Buildings and Retrofitting Solutions

Sustainable materials are more cost-effective to build with, in construction than traditional materials.

FREMONT, CA: The production and transportation of materials used in the construction of offices, homes, hospitals, shopping centres and other forms of buildings all involve carbon emissions. The dispositions and demolitions of those construction materials will also generate carbon emissions. There are also emissions of operational carbons, which are regarding the lighting, cooling, heating, and powering of buildings throughout the lifespan of the buildings.

As a matter of fact, according to the United Nations Environment Program, the construction industry is responsible for around 37 per cent of global energy and process-related carbon dioxide emissions, which also include energy-related emissions, which amount to a whopping 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide. This is derailed from the path that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action Human Settlements and Resilience Pathway, which had sent the aim to half the emissions, occurring due to built environments by 2030 and achieve net zero for brand new assets by 2050.

As a highly carbon-intensive industry, the construction sector will necessitate decarbonising and will require the combined ingenuity and efforts of designers, architects, builders, suppliers, subcontractors, and other parties involved in the industry. Improving sustainability can be performed in three parts by focusing on methods, models, and materials.