Urban Poor Afford Sustainable Construction:
Most urban construction over the next decades is going to take place in the Global South, often in the form of incremental upgrading or makeshift homes. Considering that the built environment today already accounts for nearly 40 percent of all CO2 emissions and that the CO2 budget left for that sector is already almost depleted, it is key to focus efforts on sustainable ways of construction in order to reach the 1.5-degree Celsius goal.
By making alternative, circular, and low-carbon construction methods both attractive and affordable and by supporting sustainable construction through political frameworks and regulations, it is possible to create more resilient and environmentally friendly buildings and infrastructures on the demand side, like the fast-growing informal settlements of the Global South.
Through this paper, Cities Alliance aims to shed light on this debate, its main positions, potential entry points, and research gaps. It explores the concept of a just transition towards sustainable construction in urban settings by applying the narratives of the climate community, including adaptation, mitigation, and resilience efforts for a more sustainable, low-carbon construction sector.
It keeps the needs of the urban poor firmly in mind, such as improved and resilient living conditions and local value chain development, as well as the needs of the informal economy. Cities Alliance also emphasizes the responsibility of governments to create equitable and inclusive regulations for sustainable construction.
Overarching, long-known themes such as secure land tenure, policy regulations, community leadership, and incremental housing and upgrading through local and vernacular design approaches are also explored to illustrate that sustainable construction should not be viewed as outside of or separate from a more holistic just transition in the construction of value chains.
This paper argues that excluding the urban poor from any link of the value chain—from sourcing and subsidizing materials to developing the capacity to use them, to their affordability, and the National frameworks regulating the value chain—will result in a very hefty bill on the overall state of the world.
Principles of the Circular Economy and its Role in the Construction Sector can help in detailing five potential entry points identified for a sustainable future of construction in informal settlements. In this paper, Cities Alliance aims to cross-fertilize ideas and strengthen the narrative of a just transition in sustainable construction in a rapidly growing urbanized world.
At least half of the buildings that will exist in the world by mid-century have yet to be built. At the same time, we build the equivalent of Paris each week. Consequently, the global building stock will double in the next 30 years and triple in Africa, meaning that as much housing and infrastructure will have to be created in just a few decades as was created in the last 300 years combined.
The built environment with its known backlogs and future demand is already today responsible for 37per cent of energy and process-related CO2 emissions and over 30 percent of energy demand globally. It is crucial to ensure that current and future buildings follow ever-lower carbon construction guidelines while increasing requirements for climate adaptation and resilience.
Most new buildings and infrastructures will appear in the Global South, and mostly as self-constructed buildings in informal settlements. For example, 70 percent of the African building stock expected for 2040 has yet to be built (IEA 2019) and more than 80 percent of that growth will occur in cities, especially in informal settings (Myers 2016).
Therefore, it is key to empower the urban poor to act as agents of change, supporting inclusive and sustainable growth for everyone. Circular economy principles as well as low-carbon pathways will help to support a just transition and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals ( in particular number 11 ) while meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.