A new report from the UN Environment Programme reveals that global building operational emissions rose by 1% in 2024, reaching 9.9 gigatonnes of CO2. While energy efficiency investments increased to $275 billion, the pace of decarbonization is not keeping up with the growth of new construction, particularly in India and Southeast Asia. To align with Paris Agreement goals, the sector must reduce emissions by 56% by 2030. This will require an additional $3.6 trillion in efficiency investments, a phase out of fossil fuel heating, and a massive scale up of deep retrofits for existing structures.
