Abstract
The Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction (Buildings-GSR), published by UNEP and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), provides an annual snapshot of the sector’s progress globally. It reviews the status of policies, finance, technologies and solutions to monitor alignment with the Paris Agreement goals. The 2025/2026 edition — Building fast. Falling short — is the 10th edition of this flagship publication. It benchmarks progress through the Global Buildings Climate Tracker across emissions, building energy codes, renewable energy, green building certification, and investment in energy efficiency, covering climate resilience, housing affordability, and the 2050 Buildings Breakthrough and Déclaration de Chaillot. Despite a decade of progress, the sector remains off track, accounting for 37 per cent of global emissions and nearly 50 per cent of global material extraction, as decarbonisation stalls and construction outpaces climate action.
Abstract as published.
Cite this report
Hamilton I, Kennard H, Hsu SC, Hua L, Yilmaz M, Rapf O, Pinzon Amorocho JA, Gokarakonda S, Nanu A, Milo-Dale L, Kockat J, Steuwer DS, Bankert E, Graaf L, Lockie S, Gibbons O, Munro M, Röck M, Camarasa C (2026). Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2025–2026: As climate risks rise and cities grow, we must rethink how we build to create better lives for all. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GlobalABC. https://doi.org/10.59117/20.500.11822/49531
RISE authors
From the project
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Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction
The annual global stocktake of the sector's emissions and progress.
