The urgency of addressing climate change has never been greater. The latest IPCC report shows global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to rise, emphasizing the need for rapid, sustained reductions to meet climate goals. The building and construction sector, responsible for about 34 % of global GHG emissions, must play a major role. Of these emissions, 26 % stem from building operations, and 8 % from embodied carbon in construction materials. This underscores the need to address both new and existing buildings in climate strategies.

Globally, new construction must move beyond focusing solely on operational energy use to also address embodied carbon. While regulations have traditionally targeted energy consumption, growing awareness of embodied emissions is driving changes. Countries like the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Finland and Denmark have introduced whole-life carbon requirements, with more European nations expected to follow through updates to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive by 2028–2030.

These regulations are a good start but are insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement’s targets. A study by three Danish universities found that new construction in Denmark must drop by 80 % to align with global climate goals, and the remaining 20 % must be built more sustainably. This shift calls for innovative, energy-efficient practices across the sector. To reach carbon neutrality, emissions must be reduced throughout the building lifecycle. Sufficiency—maximizing the use of existing buildings—should be prioritized over large-scale new development. Renovating and preserving buildings reduces land conversion, improves energy  efficiency, and extends building life. However, selectinglow-carbon materials for existing buildings is essential to avoid negating these benefits. Thoughtful renovations can reduce energy consumption, but careful material selection is crucial to avoid offsetting energy gains with high embodied emissions. Whole-life carbon assessments for renovation should be introduced in building regulations.

The construction sector must adopt new benchmarks that  address both operational and embodied carbon across a building’s life cycle. While progress has been made, far more action is needed globally to stay within carbon limits and avoid the worst climate impacts.