Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future

This report explores the critical role of building materials in contributing to climate change and outlines pathways to decarbonize the sector. It emphasizes a life-cycle approach, where embodied and operational carbon emissions are addressed across material choices, construction, use, and end-of-life processes. Key strategies include shifting towards biobased materials, improving the efficiency of conventional materials like cement, steel, and aluminium, and enhancing circular economy principles through reuse, recycling, and reducing material extraction.