Why is it in the news?

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction (Buildings-GSR) 2024, jointly published with the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC).

 Key findings of the Report

• Building and Construction Sector (BCS) accounts for approximately 21% of global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
• In 2022, buildings were responsible for 34% of global energy demand and 37% of energy and process-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Notably, India attributes 40% of its CO2 emissions to buildings.
• Urgent action is needed to decarbonize the BCS to limit global warming to 1.5°C (as per the Paris Agreement) and achieve net zero emissions by 2050, primarily by reducing embodied carbon in building materials.

Various Initiatives taken to promote sustainable practices in the BCS

• Declaration de Chaillot: A document adopted at the first-ever Buildings and Climate Global Forum, aimed at fostering international cooperation to address climate challenges within the building sector.
• Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU): Introducing zero-emission standards for new buildings by 2030.
• Buildings Breakthrough Initiative: Introduced by France and Morocco at COP 28, aiming for near-zero emission and resilient buildings by 2030.
• Clean Heat Forum: An initiative initiated by the UK.
• India has launched its first city-specific Zero Carbon Buildings Action Plan (ZCBAP) in Nagpur and enacted the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022, which provides for Energy Conservation and Sustainability Building Code.