As governments continue to race toward achieving the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, it is now evident that the COVID-19 pandemic had an unexpected side effect of helping to lower global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). However, with more individuals beginning to re-engage in pre-pandemic activities, emissions are once again on the rise. Based on preliminary data for 2021, Rhodium Group estimates that U.S. economy wide GHG emissions increased 6.2% relative to 2020, though emissions remained 5% below 2019 levels. While historically, the building and construction industry has contributed around 40% of global emissions, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction found that buildings in 2020 were responsible for 37% of global emissions, 10% lower than in 2019, largely due to the pandemic.
With the U.S. construction sector forecasted to grow by 8.8%, it is to be expected that the expansion will result in a surge in GHG emissions. Fortunately, the industry has been provided with the tools and resources needed to make both an immediate and long-term impact on GHG emissions from the sector.