CIB W124 – Near-Zero and Circular Built Environments working commission was upgraded from a Task Group (TG124) in October 2025, previous work is reported under the archived page for TG124. New work will be reported here.
Coordinators
Niluka Domingo, Massey University, New Zealand
Suzanne Wilkinson, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Sepani Senaratne, Western Sydney University, Australia
Background Information
The construction industry is one of the main contributors to CO2 emissions. The construction industry has a significant role to play in emissions reduction. New buildings and infrastructure will need to be redesigned to take into account the emissions they produce and reduce these emissions as much as possible. Renovating and retrofitting of buildings also poses a challenge for emissions reduction as material replacement, waste and demolition, for example, can contribute to a large emissions count. Internationally, 196 countries committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by signing the Paris Agreement on 4 October 2016. They further reinforced their commitment to delivering on the expectations set out in the Paris Agreement during the Glasgow COP 26. Transforming the construction industry to deliver zero (or near to zero) carbon buildings and infrastructure will require a paradigm shift in thinking, including new processes, products, technology and people, from investors to designers to contractors to product manufacturers and end-users. There is a need to broaden the scope of research worldwide related to the design and construction of buildings and infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Objectives and Scopes
Over the past three years, as part of the current task group, its members, alongside the task group coordinators, have successfully delivered a range of impactful initiatives. These include organising industry panel discussions and academic forums, publishing special issues and edited books, and conducting a global survey aligned with the task group’s thematic focus.
Achieving a transformative shift in the built environment to significantly reduce carbon emissions demands a fundamental rethinking of existing processes, technologies, and stakeholder engagement. This paradigm shift must encompass a wide spectrum of industry players including investors, designers, contractors, product manufacturers, and end-users working collaboratively to drive systemic change.
There is an urgent need to broaden the scope of research on a global scale to address the design and construction of buildings and infrastructure that minimise greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. By transitioning the task group into a working commission, we will establish an international platform that brings together leading experts from the construction industry and related sectors to engage in critical discussions, collaborative research, and strategic initiatives aimed at reducing emissions across the built environment.
Our activities will prioritise knowledge-sharing and cross-disciplinary learning through a comprehensive comparative study of current and emerging global best practices in zero-carbon building and infrastructure design and construction. This expanded scope will enable us to move beyond carbon reduction alone, integrating other critical low carbon concepts such as net zero energy, waste reduction, circular economy principles, and holistic sustainability frameworks. Additionally, we aim to extend our focus beyond buildings to encompass other sectors within the built environment, fostering a more comprehensive approach to sustainability.
Proposed working commission aim and objectives
Aims
Proposed working commission will bring together researchers who:
- Create and share international best practices and pursue strategic solutions to enhance the delivery of near zero built environments.
Objectives
- to expand the network of CIB members who are interested and involved in research into Near Zero Built Environments.
- to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and good practices on Near Zero Built Environments.
- to identify key issues and gaps for future research
- to encourage HDR and ECRs involvement by organising joint events with them
- to educate next generation on Near Zero practices
- to seek funding from national and international sources for collaborative research
- to disseminate research findings within the CIB network, and to a broader group of academics and practitioners working in the field
The main research themes of the working commission include:
- Near Zero Carbon Building Strategies
- Energy Efficiency and Near Zero Energy Buildings
- Near Zero Infrastructure and Urban Planning
- Climate Resilient and Adaptive Built Environments
- Low carbon Building Materials and Technologies
- Digital Technologies and Data-Driven Sustainability
- Waste Reduction and Circular Economy in Construction
- Policy, Governance, and Finance for Near Zero Transition
- Social and Behavioural Aspects of Near Zero Built Environments
- Global Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
Planned Outputs
- Launch a new working commission at the CIB World Building Congress 2025.
- Publish special issues in CIB-recognized journals on related themes (BEPAM, Buildings, IJBPA, etc.).
- Publish an edited book on “Innovative Solutions for a Net-Zero Built Environment” with BRI or similar publisher.
- Organise 2–3 webinars/seminars/ panel discussions annually, featuring industry experts, academics and ECRs on related themes.
| Timeline | Event | Topic |
| October-November 2025 | Online ECR network Seminar | Research in near zero built environments |
| March-April 2026 | Online Webinar | Strategies, technologies, and innovations for near zero built environments |
| October-November 2026 | Online panel discussion | Challenges and opportunities in transforming the built environment |
| March-April 2027 | Online Webinar | Waste management and circularity in built environment |
| October-November 2027 | Online ECR network Seminar | Doctoral researchers work on near zero built environments |
- Other than above planned events we will explore opportunities to organise presentations, panel discussion and workshops along with relevant conferences and industry events.
- Create an online educational resource to educate the next generation on Near Zero practices. Organising an online webinar series with the ECR network, as listed in the table above, is one way to achieve this goal.
- Apply for research grants to conduct studies in relevant areas.
- Collaborate with CIB and CIB-associated organisations to organise symposiums and conferences on related themes (i.e. AUBEA, CIB recognized conferences, SASBE, etc).