COP28: Where are we and where do we go next with sustainable construction?

COP28: Where are we and where do we go next with sustainable construction?

Published: Thu 7 Dec 2023, 9:42 PM

The latest UN Climate Change Conference has now commenced at COP28 in Dubai. As countries from around the world meet to discuss how to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees by 2050 (as per the Paris Agreement), one of the key focus areas will naturally be how to reduce global carbon emissions.

A key contributor to emissions is the construction industry, and while it’s slowly starting to embrace contractual requirements regarding sustainability, widespread adoption is yet to be seen. Here we consider some of the trends we are seeing in relation to ESG clauses in construction contracts, the related challenges, and some practical considerations to meet them.

The climate construction conundrum

The construction industry worldwide is responsible for at least 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as being environmentally disruptive, whether it be from environmental damage on sites, production of waste through demolition works or the mining, production and transport of raw materials such as concrete and steel.

The GCC continues to be a driver of growth in the global construction industry both in terms of the scale of investment in projects and their size. Awards for the building, infrastructure and industrial sectors