Much has changed and much continues to stay the same in the construction industry during the past several decades since I started Constructech magazine. Technology has—and continues to advance—and materials continue to evolve as well. Interestingly, one thing that continues to amp up is talk around sustainability in this sector.
For today’s blog, let’s look at three big sustainability trends to watch in the construction industry in 2025 and beyond.
Keep an Eye on Cement
Perhaps this goes without saying, but construction materials can be some of the biggest carbon emitters on the planet. Worldwide, every year, cement and concrete production generates as much as 8% of all human CO2 emissions—and it is one of the top four largest emitters of carbon dioxide.
Many companies recognize this is an ongoing problem and have set out with solutions such as alternative solutions, “greener” cement, and carbon capture and storage, just to name a few examples.
We see the World Cement Assn., projects global cement demand will decline to 3 billion tons annually by 2050. We also see clinker demand, the main source of CO₂ emissions in cement production, is expected to decrease, reaching 1.5 billion tpa by 2050. Clinker is the primary component in cement and is carbon-intensive, making up 90% of overall emissions from cement.
The heating of limestone to produce clinker accounts for 50% of emissions in cement production, according to the World Economic Forum. Alternative chemistry and processes could help here as well. Certainly, electrification and carbon capture can also help reduce the footprint.
Projections by the Global Cement and Concrete Assn. show carbon capture, utilization, and storage could reduce carbon emissions by 36%, making it one of the biggest opportunities to reduce the cement industry’s emissions.
Naturally, decarbonization and emerging technologies are going to play a huge role in achieving a low-carbon economy—which brings me to my next point.
AI Drives Sustainability
I have written about it time and time again, but it will certainly also come into play here when we talk about sustainability in construction in 2025: gen AI will be a game changer.
Capitol Technology University suggests the global construction AI market will grow to almost $9 billion by 2031 due to trends in innovation—and as a result of greater demand for sustainable solutions. In construction, AI can help in a few different ways. It can:
- Optimize energy usage in building
- Help select more sustainable materials in construction
- Accelerate eco-friendly construction
- Ensure projects meet green certifications
- Minimize the environmental impact
- Help model the lifecycle costs
- Do predictive maintenance in buildings
- Reduce consumption of the fleet
- Improve communication
- Reduce delays
Of course, these are just a few examples. Gen AI can provide a plethora of insights into how a building can be built and managed more efficiently, ultimately leading to greater sustainability throughout the lifecycle of a facility.
Consumers Are Demanding It
The hard reality is at the end of the day what will ultimately drive greater sustainability in construction is consumer demand for it. An NAHB (National Assn. of Home Builders) brief provides some interesting insights.
Titled Building Sustainably: Green & Resilient Single-Family Homes 2024, the 2024 SmartMarket Brief survey asked homebuilders to select the top three factors that would increase their engagement with green building in the future. Half of respondents listed increased homebuyer demand for green homes.
For years, when it came to green building, many builders had to take the philosophy: if you build it (green), they will come. But that script is beginning to flip. We are seeing more often that buyers are requesting the green features for different reasons—and builders are delivering.
This trend is true on both the residential and the commercial side of the market. Demand for greater sustainability is ultimately what will drive it in the construction industry. Do you agree?
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