Tackling embodied carbon in housing is the climate solution we need right now

The author asserts that tackling embodied carbon in housing is a scalable climate solution capable of cutting 4.6 billion tons of emissions. The text emphasizes that retrofitting existing homes to withstand disasters is significantly more carbon-efficient and cost-effective than new construction or post-disaster repairs. While awareness is growing in the Global North, the document calls for urgent policy shifts in the Global South to integrate embodied carbon reduction into urbanization frameworks and climate commitments, citing Colombia as an example of progress in addressing informal housing vulnerability.

• Addressing embodied carbon in housing is a scalable solution that could reduce carbon emissions by 4.6 billion tons (also cited as 4.8 gigatons of CO2 emissions) while improving the state of more than 268 million inadequate houses globally.
• Retrofitting existing housing to withstand disasters saves over 68% of embodied carbon and up to 77% of costs compared to new construction.
• Preventative upgrades are more environmentally beneficial than post-disaster repairs, with embodied carbon savings averaging 61% higher for preventative measures.
• The buildings and construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions, with housing representing at least 17% of that total.
• Colombia has demonstrated commitment to sustainability through its Roadmap for Net-Zero Carbon and guidelines for reducing the vulnerability of informal housing.

APA

Foulkes, M. S. L. (2024). Tackling embodied carbon in housing is the climate solution we need right now. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/tackling-embodied-carbon-in-housing-is-the-climate-solution-we-need-right-now/

Chicago

Foulkes, Monica Schroeder, Louise. Tackling embodied carbon in housing is the climate solution we need right now. World Economic Forum, 2024. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/tackling-embodied-carbon-in-housing-is-the-climate-solution-we-need-right-now/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Foulkes |first1=Monica Schroeder, Louise |title=Tackling embodied carbon in housing is the climate solution we need right now |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=28 January 2024 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/tackling-embodied-carbon-in-housing-is-the-climate-solution-we-need-right-now/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{foulkes2024tackling, author = {Foulkes, Monica Schroeder, Louise}, title = {{Tackling embodied carbon in housing is the climate solution we need right now}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/tackling-embodied-carbon-in-housing-is-the-climate-solution-we-need-right-now/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }