Construction CO₂ could be reduced by 75% by 2050

Circular economy strategies for construction could reduce CO₂ emissions down to 4Gt by 2050, says new report.

The report from World Economic Forum (WEF) and McKinsey & Company offers strategies for a sustainable transition in the built environment.

Around 26% of global greenhouse emissions come from the built environment, which could increase as populations grow and urbanisation increases, declares the report.

Circular strategies for six key materials are assessed in Circularity in the built environment: Maximizing CO₂ abatement and business opportunities: cement, steel, aluminium, plastics, glass and gypsm.

MicKinsey and the WEF found that circularity could yield $46bln by 2030 and $360bln by 2050, and that circular loops could abate 0.5-0.8Gt CO₂  in 2030 and between 3.4-4.0 Gt CO₂ in 2050.

For example, concrete and cement – which is 30% of building materials-related CO₂ emissions – circular strategies, such as mineralisation technologies and smart crushed aggregates, are said to offer substantial value gains, as well as the potential to abate 96% of embodied CO₂ emissions from cement by 2050.