Reducing the carbon footprint of buildings to improve sustainable development mechanisms of the construction complex

Abstract

The construction industry’s impact on the environment is overwhelming. Construction and industrial activities account for about 40 % of the global energy consumption that translates into about one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The rapid growth of property development and attention to global climate change make the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a promising area of research. The importance of the carbon impact assessment throughout the life cycle of buildings implies the improvement of emission reduction methods associated with the production and transportation of building materials, selection of optimal design solutions. Evaluation becomes key to the economic modeling of green low-carbon construction. The article addresses the current methods of the eco-economic assessment of the carbon impact of residential buildings at early stages of construction projects. Key construction resources, critically affecting the eco-performance of buildings, are identified. The comparative analysis of functionally equivalent design solutions for mid-rise residential apartment buildings, designed and constructed in the Belgorod region, is carried out. The study shows that the introduction of low-carbon principles into the design of residential buildings should and can be supported by the improved eco-economic evaluation of the construction project efficiency. This allows to capitalize the carbon impact of residential buildings and stimulate the use of effective green low-carbon motivation tools in the building market.