Abstract:
The building sector is a significant source of carbon emissions because of the production of construction materials and the energy consumed during a building’s operation. In Pakistan, the speed of urbanization and increasing energy demand have put forward the need for more sustainable building practices. This paper analyses the opportunities and challenges of decarbonizing Pakistan’s building sector. A qualitative research approach was adopted, combining a literature review with interviews conducted with engineers familiar with the construction industry. The interview data was analysed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns and mutual opinions. The findings show that even though awareness of sustainable construction is increasing, the use of low-carbon building practices is still low. Interviewees identified operational energy use, embodied carbon from construction materials, citing high upfront costs, weak policy enforcement, and limited awareness as the main challenges. They also highlighted passive building design, renewable energy, energy-efficient technologies, and low-carbon materials as the most effective ways for reducing emissions. The research comes to the conclusion that stronger government policies, improved enforcement, financial incentives (such as subsidies and lowering taxes), and greater cooperation between the industry, the government, and educational institutions are vital to make the transition towards a more sustainable and low-carbon building sector in Pakistan.
Introduction:
The building sector in Pakistan contributes roughly 3% of its national GDP, ranging from $12 billion to $17 billion. This makes it a significant part of Pakistan’s economy and given its size, one could only imagine how much this industry is impacting the temperatures and carbon emission levels in the country. This sector, which consists of both commercial and residential buildings, is the nation’s primary energy customer, consuming over 40% of the country’s total energy. When combining both numbers linked to operational and embodied carbon (carbon emitted before a product is operational, throughout its production process), this sector contributes 18-22% to national greenhouse gas emissions. In a place like Pakistan, which is densely populated, and where the population only continues to rise, demand for buildings (both commercial and residential) accelerates drastically. By about 2030, it is projected that the urban population of Pakistan will reach 50%, which will only end up heightening the demand for buildings consisting of: developments, office buildings, shopping centres, hospitals, educational institutions, residential spaces etc. This growth will only end up increasing the level of greenhouse gas emissions, and the sector will continue to use more energy.
Literature Review:
Decarbonization refers to the overall strategy of reducing CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, in this case buildings. One aims to shift from using fossil fuels as the form of energy and move towards more renewable sources like solar or hydroelectric with the goal to achieve net-zero emissions by bringing the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere to zero. Globally, there are two types of carbon emissions created by buildings: operational carbon and embodied carbon. Both of these emissions aid in negatively impacting the environment, further heightening global warming. Operational carbon is the greenhouse gas emitted from day-to-day energy consumed to run a building such as heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, hot water and power. When it comes to Pakistan, where the climate is hot for most of the year, individuals develop a heavy dependency on air conditioning and henceforth operational carbon carries a considerable portion of a building’s lifetime emissions. Embodied carbon, however, are the emissions that are associated with the extraction, manufacturing, transportation, construction, maintenance, renovation and eventual demolition or disposal of building materials. Essentially, the carbon emitted before a product is operational, throughout its production process, counts as embodied carbon. Embodied carbon levels are higher if a more carbon intensive material is used to construct a building since such materials require the use of more energy when it comes to their production. Materials like cement, steel, aluminum, and fired clay bricks are part of carbon intensive materials and are used by Pakistan religiously on a daily basis. The Per-capita cement usage is ~182 to 191 kg annually, while 20,000 kilns produce over 450 million fired clay bricks daily, according to PACRA. The combined annual consumption of cement, steel, aluminium and fired clay bricks in Pakistan is approximately 245.3 million metric tons. Fired clay bricks alone make up 78.2% of the entire volume of these four core materials because of the large amount of physical soil and clay excavated and baked annually. Cement comprises roughly 18.3%, steel makes up 3.2%, and aluminum forms a much smaller sector at roughly 0.1% of the combined construction pocket.
Given this extreme consumption, it wouldn’t be surprising that Pakistan has high levels of carbon emissions. In contrast to operational carbon, which continues to pile up on a daily basis throughout a building’s lifespan, embodied carbon is largely released before the building even starts functioning which makes it a quick and direct source of emissions. The operational carbon footprint of Pakistan’s building sector has not yet seen an overall net reduction due to rapid urbanization and growing energy use. However, as buildings become more energy efficient, owning to newfound government efforts, embodied carbon will continue to carry a far larger proportion of total lifecycle emissions and hence needs to be mitigated.
In the lifecycle of a building, emissions occur firstly when material extraction takes place (producing steel, manufacturing bricks, etc) and consume heavy amounts of energy and release greenhouse gases. Secondly, emissions occur in the manufacturing stage when raw materials are processed into construction products. For example, cement production is extremely carbon intensive because CO2 is released from both the fuel used and from converting raw material so it can be easily utilised. Thirdly, transportation and moving materials from Point A to Point B. Longer distances result in higher carbon emissions as vehicles operate for a greater duration of time. Moreover, the petrol and diesel used by machinery and equipment like diggers and tractors, overall waste generated during construction and the temporary electricity and water use during the construction process all contribute to emissions. Additionally lighting, air conditioning, elevators, appliances, and heating during a building’s existence takes up energy. Maintenance and renovation like replacing windows, repainting, repairing roofs, upgrading HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems all also require new materials and energy, further building onto the lifetime emissions. In the last stage, where a building can get demolished also releases carbon emissions.
Pakistan’s building sector has experienced rapid growth from what it was years ago to reach what it is today, and this growth will keep increasing over time. Firstly, the demand for buildings has increased. Pakistan is an extremely populated country where, as of 2026, the Worldometer states that its population sits at 259.3 million people. With the country encompassing 3.2% of the total global population and being the fifth most populous country, this number is only forecasted to rise and when this takes place, demand for buildings will rise in the form of residential spaces, educational institutes and health institutes. According to the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), Pakistan has the highest rate of urbanisation in South Asia. Nearly half of the country’s population is living in cities. As more people move into cities, once again, the demand for residential and commercial buildings rises. This means that construction will increase because the demand will need to be fulfilled in order to satisfy the residents of the country. Moreover, the contribution of the construction sector to the economy and Pakistan’s national GDP can not be understated. According to the Pakistan Board of Investment, the construction sector provides approximately 2.5% to 3% to the national GDP. According to the Advisory Center for Affordable Settlement & Housing (ACASH), the construction sector plays a vital role in shaping the economy of Pakistan. It promotes infrastructure by stimulating growth in areas like cement, steel, and real estate. This industry is also closely linked to the urbanization levels in Pakistan. As more people move to cities in search of better opportunities, the demand for housing, transportation, and utilities increases. Because the sector is growing rapidly, its carbon emissions are also increasing, making decarbonization essential for sustainable economic development. However, this sector relies heavily on resources and on energy, making use of many carbon-intensive materials in large quantities, contributing further to levels of embodied carbon. Balancing continued economic development with environmental sustainability is a pressing issue, highlighting the importance of decarbonizing Pakistan’s building sector. According to the World Bank, the building sector alone consumes roughly about 43.7% of the country’s total energy. However, the following shows a bar graph via PIDE.
Once again referring to the World Bank, this extreme demand stems from the country’s hot climate, rapid urbanization, and increasing construction of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. Energy is primarily consumed during the operational phase of buildings, with cooling holding a comparatively larger usage due to Pakistan’s long summers. As urban populations continue to grow, energy demand within the building sector is expected to rise, placing additional pressure on the national electricity grid and increasing operational carbon emissions. This increase is due to constant utilisation of air conditioners in the summers, frequent use of heaters in winters, heavy-duty appliances like refrigerators, especially in summers etc which only create a negative environmental impact. According to the World Housing Encyclopedia, in Pakistan’s current building design practices, buildings in Pakistan are typically designed using a reinforced cement concrete (RCC) framework with unreinforced red brick masonry. Brick is primarily used due to the hot climate however, it is a highly carbon intensive material and requires significant energy consumption to create. These building designs are unable to effectively regulate indoor temperatures, leading to excessive heat gain during the country’s long summer months. To maintain comfort in one’s home or workspace, people in that specific surrounding rely heavily on mechanical cooling systems, particularly air conditioners and electric fans, which significantly increase electricity consumption and operational carbon emissions. Furthermore, the limited use of sustainable design strategies, such as natural ventilation, external shading devices, renewable sources of energy, and energy-efficient materials, reduces the overall energy performance of buildings. These outdated design practices not only increase operating costs but also contribute to the long-term environmental impact of Pakistan’s rapidly urbanising environment. This prolonged expansion of the building sector severely impacts the environment due to its high consumption of energy, materials, and natural resources. Particularly, the rising use of fossil fuel based electricity generation, as Pakistan remains a nation with under-developed renewable energy resources. In addition to operational emissions, the production of construction materials such as cement, steel, and fired clay bricks generates embodied carbon and contributes to air pollution through energy-intensive manufacturing processes. Cement production is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, and traditional brick kilns release large quantities of toxic air particles and other harmful pollutants that lower air quality. The extraction of raw materials, including limestone, sand, gravel, etc., also contributes to resource depletion and environmental degradation. Also, construction and demolition activities generate significant quantities of waste, much of which is not recycled or disposed of, resulting in additional environmental depletion.
Given the fact that each thing in construction can negatively impact the environment around us, it is important to understand how to decarbonize the building sector. The process of decarbonization focuses on reducing future emissions and can be done via a series of different methods for example switching to renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, electrification and carbon capture in order to achieve net-zero emissions. There has been a 13% increase in brown buildings (buildings not adapted for energy or emissions reduction, and which use relatively more carbon intensive materials) in the market in 2025. In higher income countries, these types of buildings are retrofitted (upgraded and modified) through replacement of inefficient energy systems. However, this is difficult to apply in middle income countries. Instead, electrification and systems powered by renewable energy can be applied together in order to mitigate the negative effects of operational and embodied carbon. An investment into greener buildings practices should also be looked into. Considering factors like the building’s orientation to the sun, external shading, window size (so one can manage heat loss and gain), thermostatic valves and heat valves can all aid in the decarbonization process. A single strategy alone cannot fully decarbonize an entire industry, especially such a substantial one, however, a combination of tools, suggestions and strategies can be utilised, which can be coupled with government policies in order to make the most effective solution. However, energy efficient design practices can be a first resort as they require less energy for cooling, lighting, heating, and ventilation by applying passive design principles, abiding by the factors mentioned previously to optimize energy consumption. The adoption of energy-efficient appliances, LED lighting, smart building management systems, and high-efficiency HVAC systems can further reduce electricity consumption while maintaining consumer satisfaction. A diagram taken via ScienceDirect further emphasises this point.
These designs can reduce heat transfer between indoor and outdoor environments, which, in turn, lowers the need for cooling systems. This henceforth decreases how much energy is consumed operationally and can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Having insulated walls especially in Pakistan, can majorly reduce cooling loads as temperatures are more regulated and conserved, leading to lower electricity demand which supports goals of decarbonization.
Once more, according to ScienceDirect, renewable energy development helps replace fossil fuels in power generation and expand green electrification to larger industries. Electrification of HVAC also takes place as fossil fuels are replaced by heat pumps which go towards renewable thermal energy from the air or ground to heat and cool spaces. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has stated that these systems improve grid management and reduce energy costs.
Renewable energy systems like solar panels (and rooftop solar PVs), solar thermal systems, wind energy, geothermal energy, heat pumps, and biomass technologies, enable buildings to generate clean energy on-site. Solar energy is considered the most practical and economically viable option for countries like Pakistan. ScienceDirect highlights that integrating renewable energy with energy-efficient building design really enhances overall building performance by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, reducing operating costs, and improving energy security. Hybrid renewable energy systems, which combine multiple renewable technologies with energy storage solutions and smart energy management systems, have been shown to provide greater reliability and efficiency than single-source systems. However, the ability of these policies to be effective depends upon the level of success of government policies and their ability to fund quality renewable energy systems.
Reducing embodied carbon requires deciding construction materials that have sustainable construction practices. Traditional daily use materials such as cement, steel, and fired clay bricks are highly carbon-intensive, hence the increased use of alternative materials such as low-carbon cement, recycled steel, and sustainably sourced timber could improve construction efficiency, minimize material waste, and promote circular economy principles which further reduce the environmental impact associated with building construction. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, various strategies have been proposed to ultimately reduce the embodied carbon of construction materials throughout their life cycle. One such stance is the development of requirements for documenting the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of construction materials through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), allowing designers and developers to make material choices based on their environmental performance. Performance-based specifications can also support the usage of innovative low-carbon materials and optimized material mixtures while encouraging the use of recycled content, including reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), and ground tire rubber (GTR), without compromising structural performance. Involving greenhouse gas emission threshold values into building specifications can increase the availability and adoption of low-embodied-carbon (LEC) materials across the construction industry. Decarbonization also involves improving the efficiency with which buildings use water and other natural resources. Technology consisting of rainwater harvesting systems, greywater recycling, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and smart water management systems reduce resource consumption and improve environmental performance. Moreover, smart sensors, automated lighting controls, occupancy-based ventilation systems, and digital building management technologies optimize energy use throughout a building’s operational life, which improves sustainability.
Pakistan has also recently begun working to get their buildings certified by EDGE and LEED, green building certifications that require various qualifications to receive. EDGE is the excellence in design for greater efficiency. It has 3 different certification levels and focuses mainly on energy, water and materials efficiency. It requires at least 20% savings in these three key areas in order to achieve an EDGE standard certification. Ensuring this certification reduces utility costs, improves marketability, enables access to green finance and even supports ESG goals. LEED is leadership in energy and environmental design. It is a point based system that focuses on more high-end, larger, corporate and internationally prominent projects. It is more complex certification, however, also more comprehensive as it analyses sites, materials, air, energy and more. The goal to achieve these certifications for Pakistan’s buildings can drive decarbonization as a whole in the country.
Methodology and Overall Findings:
This research was carried out qualitatively and analyses the opportunities and challenges associated with decarbonizing Pakistan’s building sector. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the opinions and perspectives of professionals that are involved in the related industry. The primary data was collected via a series of interviews with engineers who are familiar with the construction and building sector within Pakistan. A series of questions were asked to different engineers, producing a variety of answers, and enabling the ability to see various perceptions regarding the topic. Interviewees of said questions were selected based on their professional knowledge in the industry. The sample consisted of 5-6 of these engineers, who provided proper responses on current construction practices, barriers to decarbonization and potential solutions. These were online interviews assisting with convenience; responses were recorded through written notes to ensure all points were accounted for. The responses, after being analysed, were grouped into six major themes: current building practices, sources of carbon emissions, limitations of decarbonization, opportunities and decarbonization strategies, stakeholder roles and recommendations for improving the adoption of low carbon building practices. These themes were decided based on what participants repetitively highlighted, emphasising their importance.
A prominent theme that stemmed from the interviews was that Pakistan’s construction industry continues to prioritise initial construction costs over long term sustainability and carbon reduction. Participants generally agreed that although awareness of sustainable construction has improved recently, green building practices remain limited to a small number of commercial developments and multinational organisations. Conventional construction methods still cover a large part of the industry, with limited consideration given to life-cycle carbon emissions. Participant 1 explained that “the building construction industry in Pakistan is still primarily driven by initial capital cost rather than life-cycle performance or sustainability.” Participant 2’s aligned with this, stating “most projects still prioritise cost and conventional construction over carbon reduction.” Participant 4 stated that “clients are usually more focused on reducing initial costs than long-term energy savings.” From this, I can analyse that construction decisions still are influenced by financial limitations. This data suggests that sustainability has not yet become a standard practice within Pakistan’s construction industry. Instead, it is generally considered an additional feature rather than a fundamental design requirement.
Furthermore, Participants consistently identified both operational carbon and embodied carbon as the major sources of emissions throughout a building’s life cycle. Operational emissions were widely regarded as the largest contributor due to Pakistan’s high demand for air conditioned spaces, lighting and electrical equipment. Embodied carbon associated with the manufacture of construction materials was also recognised as a significant environmental concern. Participant 1 expressed that “operational energy currently accounts for the greatest share over a building’s lifetime, while embodied carbon from materials is becoming increasingly significant.” Participant 2 aligns with this mindset and identifies operational energy consumption as the largest source of emissions, particularly because Pakistan’s electricity generation relies heavily on fossil fuels. Other participants pointed out cement, steel, transportation of construction materials and construction activities as additional contributors to carbon emissions throughout a building’s life cycle. Participants recognise the importance of combatting both operational and embodied carbon in order to achieve a more sustainable planet. Findings also highlight that improvements must extend beyond building operation to include material production and construction processes.
Many barriers to implementing low-carbon building practices were shown consistently across the interviews. Firstly, financial barriers – which were the most frequent ones brought up. The initial payment to be made upfront associated with sustainable construction technologies and materials is extremely high. Participants explained that developers and clients generally prioritise minimising initial project costs as opposed to considering long-term operational savings or life-cycle costs. Sometimes there is a struggle to show the benefits of sustainable buildings because clients remain focused on immediate expenditure. Interviewees mentioned high initial investment costs and limited financial incentives as challenges when it comes to using renewable energy technologies. Secondly, barriers linked to policies and regulation. Weak implementation and instilling of building regulations was also mentioned in interviews. Participants acknowledged that Pakistan has introduced building energy codes and sustainability initiatives, but these are barely implemented as they are voluntary in nature, so many people opt out of using them, expecting them to be expensive. Participant 1 said that “implementation remains inconsistent due to weak enforcement capacity,” as Participant 2 stated that stronger regulatory enforcement and mandatory minimum energy performance standards are necessary to improve industry-wide adoption of sustainable practices. Thirdly, the barriers associated with awareness and technical capacity. Interviewees identified a lack of awareness and technical expertise among clients, developers, contractors and consultants. Many participants are of the opinion that limited understanding of life-cycle costing and carbon assessment discourages investment in sustainable buildings and the shortage of trained professionals with high qualifications in sustainable building design, renewable energy integration, and carbon assessment only exacerbates the issue. Lastly, interviewees spoke about material availability. Limited availability of certified low-carbon construction materials from reliable suppliers proves to be another challenge. Participants expressed that many sustainable products are either difficult to source locally or were relatively expensive to import, which discourages wider use in the construction industry.
The findings of the interviews prove that financial, market related, technical and regulatory barriers hinder the implementation of low-carbon building practices in Pakistan.
In saying all of this, there is still a positive approach that can be taken since various opportunities have presented themselves regarding the decarbonization of the building sector. Firstly, passive building design strategies. These designs surfaced as the most frequently recommended idea. Participants emphasised the importance of building orientation, external shading, thermal insulation, efficient glazing, and natural ventilation in reducing cooling demand. They believed that passive design offers substantial energy savings with relatively modest additional investment, making it one of the most practical and easy solutions for Pakistan’s climate. Secondly, a focus on integrating renewable energy. Participants said that rooftop solar photovoltaic systems are the renewable energy technology with the most potential to make the greatest impact. Pakistan has a heavy solar industry that reduces reliance on fossil fuels and electricity produced by them. These also lower operational carbon emissions. When it comes to solar though, many participants said that greater policy support and financial incentives would be required to encourage greater use. Thirdly, more energy efficient technologies. The importance of high-efficiency HVAC systems, LED lighting, Building Management Systems (BMS), and automated energy systems were highlighted. These are effective when it comes to reducing operational energy consumption while improving comfort of those in the building, and reducing operational costs. Lastly, low-carbon construction materials. Many recommended increasing the use of supplementary cementitious materials, recycled construction materials and locally manufactured products with lower embodied carbon. But, improving local production capacity and product availability remained essential before these materials can be utilised on a larger scale. So essentially, participants presented an integrated approach combining passive design, renewable energy, energy-efficient technologies and sustainable construction materials as the most effective path towards decarbonizing Pakistan’s building sector. Participants said that achieving meaningful decarbonization requires collaboration and communication between the government, the industry, and educational institutions. The government is considered heavily responsible for strengthening enforcement of building energy codes, introducing financial incentives, supporting green financing, and establishing mandatory performance standards. Interviewees believed these measures would encourage greater investment in sustainable construction if properly carried through. The private sector was said to have a responsibility to invest in innovative technologies, adopt life-cycle cost analysis, and manufacture low-carbon construction materials. Educational institutions also play a critical role in developing future professionals by integrating sustainability, building science, and carbon assessment into engineering and architecture courses. Participants also recommended expanding professional development programmes and industry-focused research to improve technical expertise.
Interviewees proposed several recommendations to improve the adoption of sustainable building practices in Pakistan. The most common recommendation was to make building energy codes mandatory and strengthen regulatory enforcement. Respondents also recommended introducing financial incentives such as tax reductions, subsidies, and green financing to encourage investment in energy-efficient buildings and renewable energy technologies.
Also, promoting life-cycle cost analysis during project planning, increasing awareness among developers and clients, expanding professional training for architects, engineers, and contractors, and improving the local availability of low-carbon construction materials. It was also suggested to develop national databases for building energy performance and embodied carbon while encouraging projects that showcase the practical and economic benefits of sustainable construction.
Discussion and Recommendations:
This section compares the observations from interviews that align with the goals of the research to previous studies, research and other sources on building sustainability, operational and embodied carbon, energy efficiency, renewable energy implementation and policy utilisation. Although knowledge of sustainable construction is increasing, there are hindrances when it comes to adopting such practices due to financial limitations and policy regulations. From the interview, it is made apparent that Pakistan’s construction industry focuses more on initial upfront costs rather than long term environmental goals. Interviewees stated that sustainability is generally considered only in high-end commercial developments or projects that want green building certification, otherwise, people stick to conventional carbon-intensive construction practices. This is backed by the literature review which highlighted that limited insulation, poor building orientation and heavy dependence on cooling are prominent in Pakistan. It was also said that life-cycle performance is rarely considered during project planning. This mirrors the literature on whole-life carbon, which debates that buildings should be evaluated over their entire life cycle rather than just on initial construction cost. The findings suggest that although awareness of sustainable construction is slowly improving, sustainability has not yet become a primary design priority within Pakistan’s building sector.
The interviews identified operational energy consumption and embodied carbon from construction materials as the two principal sources of emissions. They regarded operational carbon as the largest contributor because buildings in Pakistan require a lot of energy for cooling, lighting, and equipment throughout their life. This finding is consistent with the World Bank’s observation that buildings account for a significant proportion of Pakistan’s total energy consumption and that increasing urbanisation and cooling demand will continue to place pressure on the national electricity system.
Participants also recognised the growing importance of embodied carbon associated with cement, steel, and fired clay bricks. This supports the literature reviewed, which explains that embodied carbon is becoming more and more significant as buildings become more energy efficient. The findings reinforce the importance of utilising a whole-life carbon approach that addresses emissions produced during material production, construction, operation, maintenance, and demolition (essentially throughout the building’s life).
Financial limitations are one of the most significant barriers identified by participants. They mostly explained that developers and clients continue to prioritise reducing initial capital costs rather than looking at long-term operational savings. This observation supports previous research indicating that the higher upfront costs of energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy systems end up discouraging investment eventhough they havelong-term economic benefits.
Weak policy implementation was another brought up issue. Pakistan has introduced building energy codes and sustainability initiatives; however, they believed that inconsistent enforcement limits their effectiveness. This agrees with the literature, which states that compliance and limited regulatory supervision have slowed use of sustainable construction practices.
Interviewees also focused on lack of awareness, low technical expertise, and shortages of certified low-carbon construction materials. These findings support previous studies that identify knowledge gaps, lack of professional training, and underdeveloped supply chains as major challenges to reducing emissions within the construction sector. Wholistically, these barriers demonstrate that technological solutions alone cannot be carried out without improvements in policy, education, and market development.
Even though these obstacles exist, interviewees identified various practical opportunities for reducing emissions within Pakistan’s building sector. Passive building design was consistently viewed as one of the most effective strategies because it reduces cooling demand through building orientation, shading, insulation, and natural ventilation. This finding supports existing literature, which identifies passive design as one of the most cost-effective methods of reducing operational energy consumption, especially in hot climates.
Renewable energy integration, particularly rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, was also considered highly promising. They highlighted Pakistan’s solar resource as a huge advantage for reducing dependence on fossil fuel-generated electricity. This aligns with previous research demonstrating that integrating renewable energy technologies into buildings can substantially reduce operational carbon emissions while improving long-term energy security.
It was additionally recommended to increase the use of energy-efficient HVAC systems, LED lighting, building management systems, and low-carbon construction materials. These also align with the decarbonization strategies identified in the literature review and imply that industry professionals acknowledge the practical value of combining different strategies rather than solely relying on one solution.
The interview findings suggest that Pakistan has a lot of potential to reduce emissions from its building sector but achieving this will require cooperative action across multiple parts. While energy-efficient design, renewable energy technologies, and low-carbon materials are technically feasible, their ultimate implementation depends on policy enforcement, financial support, professional capacity, and public awareness.
Also, the study highlights the importance of going from a cost-based approach towards a life-cycle one that considers both operational and embodied carbon throughout a building’s lifespan. This would allow Pakistan to accommodate future urban growth while reducing the environmental impact of its expanding building environment.
The interview findings are consistent with the existing literature on sustainable construction and building decarbonization. It recognised both the significant challenges and the considerable opportunities associated with reducing carbon emissions in Pakistan’s building sector. Although financial limitations, weak regulatory implementation, and limited technical capacity remain large barriers, the observations show that greater adoption of passive design, renewable energy systems, energy-efficient technologies, and low-carbon materials could majorly contribute to attaining a more sustainable and low-carbon environment.
Based on the observations I have made after assessing previous works and also the interviews, my recommendations are proposed to support the decarbonization of Pakistan’s building sector. These recommendations address the key barriers identified by participants, including weak policy implementation, limited awareness, financial limitations, and the insufficient utilisation of sustainable building technologies. Implementing these would help with going towards a more energy-efficient and low-carbon environment. While Pakistan has introduced building energy codes and sustainability initiatives, their implementation remains inconsistent due to lack of proper enforcement. So, it’s recommended that obedience with national building energy codes becomes mandatory for all new residential, commercial, and public buildings. Inspections, monitoring systems, and penalties for not complying should be introduced to ensure that sustainability standards are achieved. Increased regulatory enforcement would encourage developers to implement energy-efficient design practices from early stages of construction.
Higher initial investment costs were said to be one of the main barriers to using low-carbon building practices. Hence, the government should give financial incentives like tax reductions, subsidies, low-interest loans, and financing for projects that meet recognised energy-efficiency standards. These reduce financial risk for developers and encourage greater investment in renewable energy technologies, energy-efficient building systems, and low-carbon construction materials. Given Pakistan’s hot climate and high cooling demand, greater emphasis should be given to passive building design practices. Architects and engineers should prioritise building orientation, thermal insulation, natural ventilation, external shading, and high-performance glazing to reduce cooling loads before relying on expensive mechanical systems. Energy-efficient technologies, which include high-efficiency HVAC systems, LED lighting, occupancy sensors, and Building Management Systems (BMS), should also be implemented into building designs to lower operational energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible. Pakistan’s solar potential has a lot of opportunities for instilling renewable energy into buildings. Rooftop solar photovoltaic systems should be promoted through government policies, financial incentives (e.g. subsidies), and simplified installation procedures. Expanding renewable energy reduces dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity, lowers operational carbon emissions, and improves long-term energy security. Where it’s possible, renewable energy systems should be combined with energy storage and smart energy management technologies to make them even more effective than they would be on their own.
The construction industry should increase the use of materials with lower embodied carbon to reduce emissions linked to the production of buildings. Greater use of items like recycled steel, and locally manufactured low-carbon products should be encouraged. Manufacturers should also be supported in producing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), allowing designers to compare materials based on their Global Warming Potential (GWP). Government policies can further increase demand by prioritising low-embodied-carbon materials in public construction projects. Throughout the interviews, the limited awareness of sustainable construction among clients, developers, contractors, and other stakeholders was brought up. Universities should strengthen engineering and architecture courses by incorporating topics such as sustainable building design, life-cycle assessment, embodied carbon, and renewable energy integration and not have them as entirely separate courses. The government should also assist with providing this awareness. The limited availability of local data relating to building energy performance and embodied carbon was also highlighted in the interviews. In the future, the focus should be on developing national databases containing information on construction materials, operational energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Going towards a low-carbon building sector also requires cooperation between the public sector, the private sector,schools, universities, professional organisations, and building owners, which should be encouraged. This should be established to share technical knowledge, develop sustainable projects, promote innovation, and evaluate the effectiveness of decarbonization strategies. This would improve the implementation of sustainable building practices and accelerate progress towards national climate and energy goals.
Conclusion:
This paper evaluated the opportunities and challenges of decarbonizing Pakistan’s building sector through a qualitative research approach, backed by a literature review and interviews with engineers who are familiar with the industry. The observations demonstrate that even though knowledge of sustainable construction is increasing, low-carbon building practices are still not widely adopted. Factors such as higher initial costs, weak enforcement of building regulations, limited awareness, and the lack of sustainable materials continue to hinder the effectiveness of implementing such policies. This paper found that operational energy use and embodied carbon from construction materials are the main sources of carbon emissions throughout a building’s life cycle. The interviewed engineers agreed that strategies such as passive building design, renewable energy integration, energy-efficient technologies, and low-carbon construction materials have a lot of potential to reduce these emissions. Passive design and rooftop solar were said to be the most ideal solutions for Pakistan because they align with the country’s climate and can reduce energy demand over the long term (solar also has a high and quick return on investment). The responses also show that technology on its own is not viable to achieve meaningful decarbonization. Stronger government policies, better enforcement of building energy codes, financial incentives (subsidies), and greater awareness are all needed to promote the greater use of sustainable building practices. Since the interviews were conducted with a relatively small number of participants, the findings may not represent the views of the entire construction industry. The study also focused on qualitative data, so the results reflect the experiences and opinions of engineers rather than actual measurement of embodied and operational carbon emissions. Overall, this paper shows that Pakistan has a good opportunity to reduce carbon emissions from its building sector, but making this possible will require collaboration between the government, industry, and educational institutions. By strengthening policies, encouraging energy-efficient design, increasing the use of renewable energy and low-carbon materials, and improving awareness and professional training, Pakistan can move towards a more sustainable environment.
Researched and written by: Aiesha Shaaf Mahboob
Aiesha is a high school student from Karachi, Pakistan, with a keen interest in sustainability and the role it can play in shaping more environmentally responsible ways of living and building. Growing up in Pakistan has made her increasingly aware of the environmental challenges facing the country and the need for practical, long-term solutions.
Her interest in sustainability has led her to explore environmentally responsible practices in the building industry, with a particular focus on the challenges of adopting them in Pakistan. Through her research, she examines these barriers and explores how sustainable practices can become more accessible, achievable and widely adopted by businesses and communities.