Commentary prepared in 2024 by Romas Paliulis, CEO of the general contracting and construction company Gilesta
In the European Union, buildings consume the largest share of total energy — around 43 percent. On top of that, buildings and the construction sector are inevitably the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, responsible for 37 percent of all global emissions. Nevertheless, there are still very few strategic global steps being taken to make the construction sector more sustainable.
Energy use and CO2 emissions in the construction sector are enormous at almost every stage of activity. Moreover, if buildings are not built to be energy efficient, they continue for decades to use more electricity than they should and further increase greenhouse gas emissions. For example, today about one-third of all buildings in the EU are more than 50 years old, and nearly 75 percent of buildings are not energy efficient.
Because of its massive negative impact on the planet, the construction sector is precisely the one that must look for solutions to reduce energy consumption both during construction and throughout the lifecycle of buildings. Unfortunately, many are still waiting for a strong directive “from above” instead of each construction business taking even small steps that, combined, could create significant positive impact.
For example, understanding that transporting construction materials from production sites to construction sites consumes large amounts of energy, companies can look for ways to source materials closer to reduce energy consumption in trucks, ships, trains and other vehicles; hire workers who live near construction sites so they don’t need to commute long distances every day, reducing CO2 emissions. Positive results also come from smaller actions, such as proper maintenance of tools to extend their lifespan, or responsible planning of lighting, heating and ventilation on construction sites to minimize electricity use.
Another hugely important and highly problematic part of the construction sector’s impact is waste. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the construction industry generates about 40 percent of all global waste annually. In the European Union, construction activities produce 170 million tons of waste every year. Different countries recycle construction and demolition waste to varying extents, and it is encouraging that Lithuania performs well in the EU context: the average EU recycling rate for such waste is 88 percent, while Lithuania recycles as much as 97.4 percent (based on a 2023 Statista report covering the 2020 situation). This places Lithuania ninth in Europe, ahead of Estonia (92.4 percent) and Poland (74.5 percent), but behind Latvia (99 percent).
Although Lithuania manages construction waste relatively well, there is room for improvement for everyone — both locally and globally. Why is progress so slow? Experts repeatedly emphasize the same point: we need a common strategy and unified strict guidelines on how to reduce the construction sector’s negative impact on the planet. But we do not have such a strategy. Different countries have different non-binding recommendations, and because they are not mandatory, many construction companies simply ignore them. For example, the European Union has agreed on goals to reduce CO2 emissions, reduce energy use in construction, and increase the number of renovated buildings. However, these recommendations are interpreted differently across countries, and European construction regulations and codes are not harmonized, making it difficult to implement consistent sustainability measures.
As a result, everything ultimately depends on the responsibility and integrity of each company and each decision-maker. Unfortunately, sustainable construction costs more in the short term: more time spent searching for solutions, more financial resources, and more internal expertise. A unified European approach, stronger incentives for sustainable construction, and various financial instruments would significantly ease the situation. The willingness to build sustainably is also hindered by limited availability of sustainable materials: finding high-quality, environmentally friendly construction materials is a challenge, and global encouragement of their production and development is essential to improve availability and affordability. Again, we return to the same issue — the lack of a shared perspective and a clear strategy that the entire sector can collectively follow.
Thus, we find ourselves at an impasse: part of the construction industry does not care about sustainability because no one forces them to and they fail to understand its purpose; another part does care but faces overwhelming challenges; and only a small segment — which cannot create change alone — tries to act more sustainably, even through the smallest steps. And the time for solutions was yesterday; we can no longer afford to wait.