A new study published in Nature Communications offers a compelling global roadmap for reducing carbon emissions from the construction sector—without slowing economic development. Co-authored by Prof. Franco Zunino of UC Berkeley’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, alongside researchers from Europe and the United States, the study provides one of the most comprehensive assessments to date of how advanced construction technologies can support growth while dramatically cutting emissions.
Construction materials—particularly cement-based products—account for nearly three-quarters of all materials used worldwide. By analyzing historical and current material-use data, the researchers identify a consistent pattern: as countries’ incomes rise, cement consumption eventually peaks and declines, a trend already underway in China after decades of rapid expansion.
Looking ahead, the study projects that nearly 75% of global construction demand by 2050 will occur in low- and middle-income countries, where new housing and infrastructure are essential to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The research evaluates how deploying high-performance construction strategies—such as optimized structural design, material efficiency, and low-carbon production—could shape this growth.
The findings are striking: global CO₂ emissions from construction could be reduced by approximately 73% by 2050 compared to business-as-usual scenarios if these technologies are adopted at scale. Crucially, the study shows this transition does not come at the expense of development. Instead, it demonstrates that countries can meet infrastructure needs while significantly lowering per-capita emissions from construction materials.
“This work makes clear that we are not facing a tradeoff between development and decarbonization,” said Prof. Zunino. “With the right technologies and planning, rapidly growing regions can build the infrastructure they need while substantially reducing carbon impacts.”
The authors emphasize that action in the coming decade is critical. With long infrastructure lifetimes and accelerating urbanization, today’s decisions will shape global emissions for decades to come. The study provides a clear, technology-driven pathway for governments, industry, and engineers to align infrastructure development with climate goals.
The full article, “Timely deployment of best-in-class technologies to enable development and decarbonize construction,” is available in Nature Communications.