Global Practices of Net Zero Carbon Building Design And Construction report
The 2024 CIB Vistas Report explores net zero carbon building design and construction practices across the globe. Learn about emerging technologies, regional insights, and the key challenges facing the global transition to sustainable, low-carbon construction.
The CIB Vistas funding supported the team to conduct a global survey aimed at investigating the global net zero carbon building design and construction practices and contribute to the future world view on sustainable construction.
Led by TG124 Net Zero Carbon coordinators Sepani Senaratne and Niluka Domingo, together with Srinath Perera, the research was carried out in several countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Sri Lanka, UK, South Africa and Hong Kong.
Global-Practices-of-Net-Zero-report-Vistas-2“We have observed an increased adoption of low-carbon technologies in building design and construction around the world. But, many construction industry professionals still lack the required knowledge, tools and support in realising net-zero carbon buildings (NZCBs)”
Sepani Senaratne
Executive Summary
This report presents the key survey results from six countries/regions: Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong, aiming to investigate current net zero carbon practices worldwide. The survey primarily targeted low-carbon building technologies, carbon estimating, and the enablers and barriers related to net zero-carbon buildings (NZCBs). A consistent survey template and content were used across all participating countries/regions, with only minor adjustments made by the country/region coordinators to suit their specific contexts.
The questionnaire was distributed to construction professionals in each country/region within a similar timeframe, and the results were collected and reported by each country/region coordinator and their team. Although a survey was initiated in the United Kingdom, the results are not reported due to very low industry participation. Instead, a brief literature review highlighting the current status and issues relevant to NZCBs in the UK is included in the report.
The report is structured based on each country/region’s results and sub-categorised into three main areas: low carbon building technologies; carbon estimating; and enablers and barriers of NZCBs within each country/region context. Each country/region had a unique number of respondents, used different survey distribution tools (such as Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey), and obtained relevant ethical approvals, all of which were handled by the respective country/region coordinators.
The results show a growing trend in the adoption of low-carbon building technologies worldwide. Energy-efficient systems, passive technologies, and renewable energy systems are the most common low-carbon building technologies globally. However, carbon estimation practices remain consistently low across all participating countries/regions. While some carbon estimation tools are well-known in certain countries, their application is limited. The enablers and barriers to achieving NZCBs also vary across countries/regions, but most face a similar set of significant challenges. These barriers include the lack of financial incentives, inadequate policies and legislation to support low-carbon buildings, and the prioritisation of cost savings over sustainability impacts.
📥 Download the Full 2024 CIB Vistas Report on Net Zero Carbon Buildings (PDF)
