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Jun.2024 22
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Challenges and opportunities faced by the domestic and international construction industries in the context of global energy consumption.
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It's an attention-grabbing statistic that the built environment represents over 33% of global final energy use, generates nearly 40% of global energy-related GHG emissions and consumes 40% of global raw materials. Global population growth and urbanization will require a massive increase in urban infrastructure, which will intensify the challenges of the system. We must act now or face the consequences. If we continue to build and consume the way we are today, average global temperatures are set to rise above 2 degrees Celsius – the goal scientists agree that would safely limit climate change. Beyond this, the effects would severely impact living conditions, especially among more vulnerable households such as low-income families, the elderly and people living with illnesses. Our existing buildings are simply not designed to withstand this extreme change in external environment, and it would affect quality of life including health, cost of living, and levels of comfort. So the potential for carbon savings in our buildings is "immense". If we are to reach the ambitious targets of the Paris Agreement, we must increase the energy efficiency of our homes, offices and public spaces – and set out to achieve net zero targets in both new build and renovation. And that's why we need to use rock wool insulation to accelerating momentum in this space. Buildings represent one of the largest potentials for cost-effective energy savings in the short, medium and long-term. Take Europe for example. There are approximately 210 million buildings in the EU alone – 70-90 per cent of them with poor energy efficiency performance, and 35 per cent being more than 50 years old. With nine out of 10 existing buildings still expected to be occupied in 2050, renovation is absolutely critical, especially when the potential for energy savings is currently 50-90 per cent in new and existing buildings globally. Compared with developed countries, there is still a gap in China's building energy efficiency level, with characteristics such as inconsistent standards and significant differences between different regions. Former Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Rural Development Qiu Baoxing pointed out at the 5th Green Building Conference that the residential area of heating cities in northern China is only 10% of the national urban residential area, while building energy consumption accounts for 40%; Secondly, China remains a major exporter of global energy consumption. Compared with developed countries with similar climate conditions, the energy consumption per square meter of large buildings in China is 2.5 times higher, and there is still significant room for progress and development in building energy efficiency.
