Storing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in products is identified as one of the key measures for carbon dioxide removal. The building sector and its potential use as a carbon sink is quickly becoming a consideration for active policies in Europe. However, while this remains a key element of informed decision-making, robust data on CO2 storage and uptake potentials vis-à-vis current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the buildings sector is still lacking. Here, we quantify the carbon dioxide storage and uptake potentials for EU buildings in 2020 on three hierarchical levels: the material, building, and building stock level. We assess the potential of bio-based materials and mineral carbonation and compare the results to the baseline GHG emissions of the EU building stock. At the building level, bio-based materials show the largest storage effects. Carbonation during the use stage of buildings is smaller than in the end-of-life stage, yet both yield non-negligible effects that should be considered in life cycle assessments of buildings. However, when calcination emissions in the production stage are considered, the carbonation uptake of mineral materials does not lead to net removal of CO2 at the building level. At the building stock level, net biogenic carbon storage effects result in net storage equivalent to 1.27% of embodied GHG emissions, while mineral CO2 fluxes, including carbonation, result in net emissions equivalent to 10.16% of embodied GHG emissions in the EU-27 building stock in 2020. The results at the material, building, and building stock levels can be used as a comparative baseline for future net-zero GHG research in the European context.
The global building sector, responsible for over 30% of CO2 emissions, necessitates urgent decarbonization efforts. This paper examines residential building decarbonization policies in three major economies-the European Union (EU), China, and India. It provides an overview of diverse policies through policy landscape analysis and delves into the design specifics with a detailed policy intensity analysis of building energy codes, information disclosure, and financial incentives in each region. Our findings reveal a diverse mix of policies targeting residential building decarbonization in all three regions. While the EU and China have long-established diverse policy instruments, India's building energy efficiency policies are relatively recent and limited. Detailed analyses of building energy codes, information disclosure, and financial incentives expose variations in ambition, scope, and implementation, even with shared policy instruments. Significant advancements in building energy codes, particularly in stringency and compliance checks, are evident in the EU and China. Conversely, India faces a notable obstacle with limited adoption of residential building energy codes, impacting its journey towards net-zero. The EU leads in building energy labelling policies, while China and India encounter various challenges hindering widespread implementation. Financial incentives across the three regions predominantly take the form of subsidies, potentially straining public budgets. The study concludes with reflections on the pressing need for future research extending beyond the operational phase of buildings.
