The built environment is the fastest-growing contributor to climate change, accounting for almost 40% of global emissions.
The Built Environment program addresses the climate impact of how we design, build, and use physical spaces, particularly buildings and transportation systems. As the backbone of urban life, the built environment is also one of the greatest contributors to the climate crisis: buildings alone account for nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume a third of global energy. Transportation adds another 23% of global emissions, and together, these sectors represent some of the hardest to decarbonize.
This program explores solutions to transform buildings from carbon sources to climate assets, through net-zero construction, deep energy retrofits, green materials, and high-efficiency technologies.
Here are some resources to help you learn more:
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Building lighter, an approach that has become indispensable
Innovative in its processes and materials, lightweight construction offers concrete solutions that are increasingly adopted worldwide, addressing environmental imperatives, economic constraints and societal demands all at once.
Do we need to reinvent everything to build sustainably?
As new sustainable building solutions and techniques continue to emerge, the question arises: does achieving sustainability mean reinventing everything, or can today’s and yesterday’s solutions provide a framework for the future? At the heart of this debate lies the meaning and role of innovation in creating a more sustainable and responsible built environment.
The Sustainable Construction Observatory
The transition towards ever more sustainable constructionrequires the collective mobilization of all stakeholders—professionals, institutions, and citizens. This is why Saint-Gobain launched the Sustainable Construction Observatory in 2023.
2025 Sustainable Construction Barometer – Key learnings
Saint-Gobain’s Sustainable Construction Observatory publishes an international Sustainable Construction Barometer to measure progress and identify action areas in which to focus our collective efforts.
We're pleased to welcome Saint-Gobain as the Built Environment Partner for Climate Week NYC 2025.