Oral Presentation World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2026

International Survey on Data Availability for Whole Life Carbon Modelling of National Building Stocks  (131164)

Nicolas Alaux 1 , Carlos E. Caballero-Güereca 1 , Greg Foliente 2 3 , Leo Ettl 1 , Vanessa Gomes da Silva 4 , Marcella Ruschi Mendes Saade 1 , Maxine Chan 5 , Alexander Passer 1
  1. Graz University of Technology, Institute of Structural Design, Working Group Sustainable Construction, 8010 Graz, Austria
  2. The University of Melbourne, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, Melbourne, Australia
  3. De La Salle University, Advanced Research Institute on Informatics, Computing and Networking (AdRIC), Manila, Philippines
  4. University of Campinas, School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urbanism, Department of Architecture and Construction, São Paulo, Brazil
  5. HEAT GmbH, Königstein, Germany

The construction and operation of buildings contribute approximately 21% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions are typically classified as operational emissions, resulting from energy use, and embodied emissions, associated with construction, renovation, and demolition processes. To meet the climate goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, signatory countries need to pledge Nationally Determined Contributions and present an emission reduction plan. A science-driven approach is essential to model mitigation pathways for high-impact sectors, such buildings and real estate, requiring detailed data on national building stocks. Building stock models serve as essential tools for estimating environmental impacts and designing emission reduction pathways, thus supporting policy development and stakeholder actions.

This study identifies the key data and steps to develop bottom-up building stock models, with a focus on their applicability across diverse country contexts and capabilities. Drawing on a review of past approaches and recent experiences with building stock modelling in Asia, Australia and Europe, a harmonised five-step framework is presented: (a) characterisation and aggregation of building stock data, (b) inventory of energy and material flows, (c) setting baseline spatial and temporal dynamics, (d) life cycle impact assessment, and (e) scenarios analyses. The generalised approach is evaluated considering different case studies: (a) an industrialised country in Europe (Germany), (b) an industrialised country outside of Europe (Australia), and (c) countries with an emerging economy or an economy in transition, with possible data gaps and informal settlements (Brazil and Mexico). Emerging economies are especially critical since their building stocks are expected to increase significantly due to population growth and economic expansion.

Reflections on the modelling process across cases are used to identify key factors to consider in the development of international guidelines for accelerating the global adoption of building stock models, support tailored mitigation strategies, and strengthen countries’ capacity to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals.