︎

BUILDING MATERIALS

AND

THE CLIMATE:

CONSTRUCTING A NEW

FUTURE

                          

"Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future" is a report by UN Environment Programme, Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) and Yale CEA. McGill TRACE lab is a lead author on the report.


The report highlights the pressing need to establish innovative cooperation models to decarbonize building materials. These models are critical if we are to achieve the world's ambitious target of net zero emissions from the built environment sector by mid-century.



The report also pinpoints three overarching strategies that need to be implemented together to decarbonize building materials:

Avoid unnecessary extraction & production.

Shift towards regenerative materials.

Improve decarbonization of conventional materials.



Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future” is the product of the generous dedication and extraordinary investment of numerous individuals, whose knowledge, expertise and insight helped shape this important body of work. UNEP acknowledges the contributions made by many governments, individuals and institutions to the preparation and publication of this report.



Special thanks are extended to: This publication was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).



Read the Report

Team


Lead Authors:

Anna Dyson, Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (Yale CEA), US
Naomi Keena, McGill University, CA
Mae-ling Lokko, Yale CEA, US; Willow Technologies, GH
Barbara Reck, Yale School of the Environment, US
Christina Ciardullo, American Institute of Architects, US; Yale CEA


Contributing authors:

Mohamed Aly Etman, Yale CEA, US; EG
Frederick Wireko Manu, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Ghana Building and Roads Research Institute (CSIR-BRRI), GH
Alejandra Acevedo-De-los-Ríos, University of Lima, PE; Université catholique de Louvain, BE
Marco Raugei, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Nzinga Mboup, Worofila, SN
Ibrahim Niang, Agence D’Architecture et de Recherche MBN (AARMBN delete?), SN
Daniel R. Rondinel-Oviedo, McGill University, CA
Jaime M. Sarmiento-Pastor, University of Lima, PE
Andrés M. Lira-Chirif, University of Lima, PE
Aishwarya Iyer, Yale School of the Environment, US
Yuan Yao, Yale School of the Environment, US
Vicky Achnani, Yale School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University, US


Research Team Members:

Rosemary Sarfo Mensah,CSIR-BRRI, GH
Kingdom Ametepe, CSIR-BRRI, GH
Alexandre Bouffard, McGill University, CA
Jaione Aramburu-Stuart, University of Lima, PE
Martha M. Pomasonco-Alvis, University of Lima, PE
Seth Embry, Yale CEA, US
Dita Zakova, Ecolibri, GT
Juan Skinner, Ecolibri, GT


Publications



United Nations Environment Programme, & Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (2023). Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future.
Keena, N., Rondinel-Oviedo, D. R., Acevedo-De-los-Ríos, A., Sarmiento-Pastor, J., Lira-Chirif, A., Raugei, M. & Dyson, A. (2023). Implications of circular strategies on energy, water, and GHG emissions in housing of the Global North and Global South. Journal of Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 17, 100684.
Keena, N., Raugei, M., Lokko, M., Aly Etman, M., Achnani, V., Reck, B.K., & Dyson, A. (2022). A Life-Cycle Approach to Investigate the Potential of Novel Biobased Construction Materials toward a Circular Built Environment. Energies. 15(19), 7239.
Keena, N., Duwyn, J., & Dyson, A. (2022). Biomaterials to Support the Transition to a Circular Built Environment in the Global South. United Nations Environment Programme and Yale University.


Raugei, M., Keena, N., Novelli, N., Aly Etman, M., & Dyson, A. (2021). Life-cycle scenario analysis of the energy and environmental benefits of conventional and advanced photovoltaic solar systems on an Ecological Living Module (ELM) in three key locations. Journal of Industrial Ecology 25(5), 1207-1221.


Talks



Noronha, L., Hajduk, A., Crouzat, S.,Dyson, A., Lokko, M.,  Prince, S., Tuya, S., Salam, A., Guillot, T., Reck, B., Sharples, C., Keena, N. (2023, September 19) High-Level Dialogue on "Building Materials and the Climate - Constructing the Future'', Yale Club, New York, United States of America.
Dyson, A., Keena, N., Lokko, M., Reck, B.K., Ciardullo, C. (2023). Press Release: United Nations Environment Programme, & Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture. Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future.

Keena, N., Rondinel-Oviedo, D. & Acevedo-De-los-Ríos, A. (2023, September 4-6). Greenhouse gas emissions from residential building and circular economy mitigation strategies [Presented by: Keena, N.]. World Resources Forum 2023, Geneva, Switzerland (hybrid event)


Dyson, A., Keena, N., Lokko, M. (2022, May 5). Biomaterials Supporting the Transition to a Circular Built environment in the Global South [Presented by: Keena, N.]. Online event ‘Can biomaterials become the building blocks for the 21st Century?’ Yale University CEA and UNEP, New Haven, USA.

RESEARCH

BUILDING MATERIALS

AND THE CLIMATE:

CONSTRUCTING A

NEW FUTURE


"Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future" is a report by UN Environment Programme, Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) and Yale CEA. McGill TRACE lab is a lead author on the report.

The report highlights the pressing need to establish innovative cooperation models to decarbonize building materials. These models are critical if we are to achieve the world's ambitious target of net zero emissions from the built environment sector by mid-century.

The report also pinpoints three overarching strategies that need to be implemented together to decarbonize building materials:

Avoid unnecessary extraction & production.

Shift towards regenerative materials.

Improve decarbonization of conventional materials.

Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future” is the product of the generous dedication and extraordinary investment of numerous individuals, whose knowledge, expertise and insight helped shape this important body of work. UNEP acknowledges the contributions made by many governments, individuals and institutions to the preparation and publication of this report.

Special thanks are extended to: This publication was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).


Read the Report



Team


Lead Authors:

Anna Dyson, Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (Yale CEA), US
Naomi Keena, McGill University, CA
Mae-ling Lokko, Yale CEA, US; Willow Technologies, GH
Barbara Reck, Yale School of the Environment, US
Christina Ciardullo, American Institute of Architects, US; Yale CEA


Contributing authors:

Mohamed Aly Etman, Yale CEA, US; EG
Frederick Wireko Manu, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Ghana Building and Roads Research Institute (CSIR-BRRI), GH
Alejandra Acevedo-De-los-Ríos, University of Lima, PE; Université catholique de Louvain, BE
Marco Raugei, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Nzinga Mboup, Worofila, SN
Ibrahim Niang, Agence D’Architecture et de Recherche MBN (AARMBN delete?), SN
Daniel R. Rondinel-Oviedo, McGill University, CA
Jaime M. Sarmiento-Pastor, University of Lima, PE
Andrés M. Lira-Chirif, University of Lima, PE
Aishwarya Iyer, Yale School of the Environment, US
Yuan Yao, Yale School of the Environment, US
Vicky Achnani, Yale School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University, US


Research Team Members:

Rosemary Sarfo Mensah,CSIR-BRRI, GH
Kingdom Ametepe, CSIR-BRRI, GH
Alexandre Bouffard, McGill University, CA
Jaione Aramburu-Stuart, University of Lima, PE
Martha Pomasonco-Alvis, University of Lima, PE
Seth Embry, Yale CEA, US
Dita Zakova, Ecolibri, GT
Juan Skinner, Ecolibri, GT


Publications: 


United Nations Environment Programme, & Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (2023). Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future.

Keena, N., Rondinel-Oviedo, D. R., Acevedo-De-los-Ríos, A., Sarmiento-Pastor, J., Lira-Chirif, A., Raugei, M. & Dyson, A. (2023). Implications of circular strategies on energy, water, and GHG emissions in housing of the Global North and Global South. Journal of Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 17, 100684.

Keena, N., Raugei, M., Lokko, M., Aly Etman, M., Achnani, V., Reck, B.K., & Dyson, A. (2022). A Life-Cycle Approach to Investigate the Potential of Novel Biobased Construction Materials toward a Circular Built Environment. Energies. 15(19), 7239.

Keena, N., Duwyn, J., & Dyson, A. (2022). Biomaterials to Support the Transition to a Circular Built Environment in the Global South. United Nations Environment Programme and Yale University.

Raugei, M., Keena, N., Novelli, N., Aly Etman, M., & Dyson, A. (2021). Life-cycle scenario analysis of the energy and environmental benefits of conventional and advanced photovoltaic solar systems on an Ecological Living Module (ELM) in three key locations. Journal of Industrial Ecology 25(5), 1207-1221.


Talks:


Noronha, L., Hajduk, A., Crouzat, S.,Dyson, A., Lokko, M.,  Prince, S., Tuya, S., Salam, A., Guillot, T., Reck, B., Sharples, C., Keena, N. (2023, September 19) High-Level Dialogue on "Building Materials and the Climate - Constructing the Future'', Yale Club, New York, United States of America.

Dyson, A., Keena, N., Lokko, M., Reck, B.K., Ciardullo, C. (2023). Press Release: United Nations Environment Programme, & Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture. Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future.

Keena, N., Rondinel-Oviedo, D. & Acevedo-De-los-Ríos, A. (2023, September 4-6). Greenhouse gas emissions from residential building and circular economy mitigation strategies [Presented by: Keena, N.]. World Resources Forum 2023, Geneva, Switzerland (hybrid event)

Dyson, A., Keena, N., Lokko, M. (2022, May 5). Biomaterials Supporting the Transition to a Circular Built environment in the Global South [Presented by: Keena, N.]. Online event ‘Can biomaterials become the building blocks for the 21st Century?’ Yale University CEA and UNEP, New Haven, USA.



RESEARCH