Photo showing palm trees by alevision.co, via Unsplash

Climate

It is vital to ensure that the selection of building materials is appropriate for the climate in which they are used. Material performance can strongly vary, depending on the conditions to which buildings are exposed. For example, some structural materials have more appropriate thermal properties for hot or tropical climates than others, enabling better heat retention or cooling when these properties are needed. Earth based construction is not a new strategy, but one that has fallen out of favour in the last century as preferences for materials such as concrete and steel grew.  Beyond being a more appropriate material choice in some contexts, earth construction can reduce the need for brick firing or production of synthetic binders and additives, reducing fuel and material consumption, as well as reducing health risks from air emissions and chemical use.

However, a material with improved sustainability performance in one region may not provide the same in-use performance in another, and a whole lifecycle thinking approach can help ensure that material choices are optimal. Additionally, sustainability hotspots can vary between regions. For example, there may be increased impacts from extraction in one region that are not experienced elsewhere, and from increased transportation distances. The expertise of installers with a material, ability of the local supply chain to meet demand and ensure quality, and the availability of infrastructure for end-of-life processing all bear consideration when determining if a material is appropriate for a particular climate.

 6
Source: United Nations Environment Programme (2023). Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future. Nairobi

However, in some cases, learnings from material selection and market development can be transferred from one region to another where there are similarities in the climate. The Hub uses the Köppen-Geiger classification, which categorises regions as Tropical, Dry, and Temperate, according to the map below. Resources that apply to a particular climate are organised accordingly.

Map of Köppen-Geiger climate classification
map

 
Note: Tropical (A - regions Af, Am, Aw), Dry, (B - regions BWh, BWk, BSh, BSk) and Temperate (C - regions Csa, CSb) are used in the Sustainable Building Materials Hub to categorise resources where climate considerations apply.
Source: Beck, H.E., Zimmermann, N. E., McVicar, T. R., Vergopolan, N., Berg, A., & Wood, E. F., CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Filters +
View results
Displaying 111 - 120 of 182
The Building Decarbonization Practice Guide: A Zero Carbon Future for the Built Environment
2022-12-10
The Building Decarbonization Practice Guide: A Zero Carbon Future for the Built Environment

The risks of not curbing global warming are clear. The good news is that the built environment can play a massive role in drawing down emissions. But decarbonizing the built environment needs to advance now: New buildings and renovations of every type need to be built and operated to zero carbon emission standards. This is a collective endeavor. It will take every building in every community. The entire built environment sector, like the entire world of nations, is in this together.  

See more
Improving the sustainability of ceramic tile production in Turkey
2022-12-10
Improving the sustainability of ceramic tile production in Turkey

The concept of environmental sustainability and its applications in the ceramic industry has been raised due to the environmental issues related to the construction sector. This study evaluated and compared the environmental impacts of ceramic tiles manufactured by the current production technologies. Four different cleaner scenarios are applied based on cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment.

See more
Biobased and Circular Buildings, for Healthy, Clean Cities
2022-12-10
Bio-based and Circular Buildings for Healthy, Clean Cities

EIT Climate-KIC has teamed up with a cohort of partners to develop a handbook to help cities reduce embodied carbon in construction.

Globally, buildings account for 39 per cent of carbon emissions, with the share of embodied carbon (arising from manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials) becoming more dominant as energy efficiency increases and energy sources become less carbon intensive. Therefore, dramatically reducing this source of emissions in the construction sector is a priority.

See more
Decarbonizing the Building Sector - 10 Key Measures
2022-12-09
Decarbonizing the Building Sector - 10 Key Measures

This publication aims to inspire senior officials and decision makers in national, subnational and local governments to decarbonize the building sector, and to show them how to start. It does not present a comprehensive strategy, but rather highlights a set of essential measures and successful examples from intervention areas identified in the GlobalABC Regional Roadmaps – new buildings, existing buildings, building operations, building materials, and resilience.

See more
Net-zero buildings: Where do we stand?
2022-12-09
Net-zero buildings: Where do we stand?

This report looks in detail at the results of six whole life cycle assessment (WLCA) case studies to illustrate some of the challenges, barriers and opportunities relating to the building industry’s carbon footprint. It aims to provide an insight into the industry’s current performance and compare it to possible net-zero trajectories.

Analyzing the whole life carbon emissions of six building projects using the WBCSD Building System Carbon Framework, the report shows that:

See more
The Building System Carbon Framework
2022-12-09
The Building System Carbon Framework

The built environment is responsible for almost 40% of the global energy and process-related CO2 emissions. To meet the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to 1.5°C, we need to reach net-zero emissions across all activities in the building and construction system. The goal is for all new buildings to operate at net-zero emissions by 2030 at the latest, and for all buildings to operate at net zero by 2050.

See more
MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub logo
2022-12-09
MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub

The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) is a dedicated interdisciplinary team of researchers from several departments across MIT working on concrete and infrastructure science, engineering, and economics since 2009. The MIT CSHub brings together leaders from academia, industry, and government to develop breakthroughs using a holistic approach that will achieve durable and sustainable homes, buildings, and infrastructure in ever more demanding environments. Resources in the CSHub are largely focused upon the USA context, but are internationally applicable. 

See more
2022-12-09
IEA & IRENA Policies and Measures Database

The IEA and IRENA Policies and Measures Database provides access to information on past, existing or planned government policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and support the development and deployment of renewables and other clean energy technologies.

See more
2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction
2022-12-09
2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction

The Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction (Buildings-GSR) is a flagship publication of the UNEP-hosted Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC). The Buildings-GSR provides an annual snapshot of the progress of the buildings and construction sector on a global scale and reviews the status of policies, finance, technologies, and solutions to monitor whether the sector is aligned with the Paris Agreement goals. It also provides stakeholders with evidence to persuade policymakers and the overall buildings and construction community to take action.

See more
Reducing Carbon Emissions over the Life of a Building: Opportunities in the 2022 EPBD Recast
2022-12-09
Reducing Carbon Emissions over the Life of a Building: Opportunities in the 2022 EPBD Recast

The current Commission proposal does not go far enough in addressing operational and embodied carbon emissions on building lifecycle global warming potential (lifecycle-GWP), often referred to as Whole Life Carbon (WLC). Deploying WLC measures in the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) recast will be a win-win for energy performance and climate action at the building and industry level. Therefore, a stepwise approach and a clear timeline that go beyond 2030 needs to be set out in the EPBD recast.

See more