The Hidden Climate Impact of Residential Construction

New home construction in the US generates over 50 million tons of embodied carbon emissions annually. Analysis of 921 model homes across the US, Canada, and Europe indicates average cradle-to-gate emissions of 184 kg CO2e/m2. Reductions of 30% to 50% are achievable using existing, cost-parity materials by targeting concrete, insulation, cladding, and interior surfaces, which comprise over 70% of total emissions. Further reductions up to 140% are possible through low-emitting and carbon-storing materials.

• New residential construction in the United States produces more than 50 million tons of embodied carbon emissions every year, a volume comparable to the annual emissions of countries like Norway, Peru, and Sweden.
• Based on data from 921 model homes in the US, Canada, and Europe, the average cradle-to-gate (CtG) embodied carbon emissions for new low-rise residential homes are approximately 184 kg CO2e/m2. For the US, where annual new construction is roughly 167 million m2, emissions from structure, enclosure, and partitions are estimated between 26 and 39 million tons CO2e annually.
• Immediate emissions reductions of 30% to 50% can be achieved at cost parity using commercially available and code-compliant materials. These gains are primarily found by targeting concrete, insulation, cladding, and interior surfaces, which typically account for over 70% of total emissions in new home construction.
• The potential for emissions reductions can reach 140% through the adoption of a comprehensive range of low-emitting substitute materials and carbon-storing materials currently entering the market.

APA

RMI (2023). The Hidden Climate Impact of Residential Construction. https://rmi.org/resources/hidden-climate-impact-of-residential-construction/

Chicago

RMI. The Hidden Climate Impact of Residential Construction. 2023. https://rmi.org/resources/hidden-climate-impact-of-residential-construction/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=The Hidden Climate Impact of Residential Construction |date=28 March 2023 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/hidden-climate-impact-of-residential-construction/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2023hidden, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{The Hidden Climate Impact of Residential Construction}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/hidden-climate-impact-of-residential-construction/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }