Analyst Insight: Decarbonizing Residential Buildings

The building sector continues to account for a large proportion of global energy use and energy-related CO₂ emissions. The latest information from the United Nations suggests that in 2021, the combined building and construction sectors accounted for 37% of global energy- and process-related emissions and over 34% of energy demand. Buildings represent a locus where myriad interconnected issues converge, all of which can have some bearing on emissions in either the short or long term. Factors include technology (especially related to heating and cooling); architecture; building materials and construction methods; supply-chain constitution; behavior and lifestyle; policies and regulations across numerous domains (e.g., building regulations; urban layout and city planning); and energy efficiency measures.

Drawing from the latest update of Guidehouse Insight’s Global Building Stock Database 4Q22, this report examines the topic of decarbonizing residential buildings. It aims to summarize some of the major endeavors (both in policy and in real-world examples) related to residential building decarbonization around the world, with a special emphasis on novel technologies and policy enablers.