{"id":25179,"date":"2025-07-29T13:05:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T11:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/?p=25179"},"modified":"2025-10-09T10:57:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T08:57:52","slug":"construction-and-decarbonization-a-resilient-sector-amid-crises-and-green-targets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/news-2\/construction-and-decarbonization-a-resilient-sector-amid-crises-and-green-targets\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction and Decarbonization: A Resilient Sector Amid Crises and Green Targets"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The construction sector\u2014a major economic powerhouse and infrastructural pillar\u2014now stands at the crossroads of unprecedented global challenges.<\/strong> Despite the turbulence caused by the COVID emergency and the conflict in Ukraine\u2014resulting in higher raw\u2011material prices, supply\u2011chain disruptions, and a resurgence of inflation\u2014the industry has shown remarkable resilience. According to Deloitte\u2019s Global Powers of Construction<\/em> report, which analyzes the performance of the world\u2019s leading publicly traded groups, 2023 saw a modest 3.4\u202f% rise in total revenues and, even more strikingly, an 18.3\u202f% increase in market capitalization among the top 100 global firms. This optimistic signal testifies to the sector\u2019s recovery, driven in particular by the excellent performances of U.S. and European groups.<\/p>\n

Europe, in particular, remains a key player<\/strong>, hosting 40\u202fof the world\u2019s top\u202f100 construction companies\u2014many of them Italian. Aggregate European sales jumped 11.3\u202f%, surpassing\u202f$411\u202fbillion, while market capitalization surged by 25.2\u202f%. This demonstrates the vitality and rebound capacity of a sector that, despite forecasted macroeconomic headwinds in 2024 (with slower global growth), retains promising medium\u2011 to long\u2011term prospects\u2014projected to grow from $10.4\u202ftrillion in 2023 to $16.1\u202ftrillion by\u202f2030.<\/p>\n

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D&D: Digitalization and Decarbonization<\/h2>\n

Alongside economic challenges, construction faces an even more structural and urgent one: decarbonization. Responsible for 37\u202f% of global CO\u2082 emissions, the industry is indispensable in the fight against climate change. This ecological transition requires overcoming heavy reliance on high\u2011carbon processes and materials, and addressing at least five crucial challenges:<\/p>\n

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  1. \n

    Technological Adaptation<\/strong>
    Integrate new technologies for energy efficiency, on\u2011site renewable generation, and optimized construction workflows.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    New Skillsets<\/strong>
    Develop the expertise needed to design, build, and manage low\u2011impact buildings\u2014from innovative materials to advanced digitalization.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Overcoming Industry Fragmentation<\/strong>
    Foster collaboration and integration across the entire value chain\u2014from material producers to builders, designers, and facility managers\u2014for a more systemic approach to sustainability.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    Enhanced Data Availability<\/strong>
    Collect, analyze, and share data on building energy performance, material carbon footprints, and intervention outcomes\u2014enabling more informed, targeted decisions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    Investment in Decarbonization Technologies<\/strong>
    Stimulate R&D and adoption of innovative solutions that dramatically reduce both embodied and operational emissions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Europe: Resilient Infrastructure and a Cooling Residential Market<\/h2>\n

    In Europe\u2014where the construction sector exceeds $2.8\u202ftrillion\u2014investment in infrastructure and non\u2011residential construction is expected to remain stable and resilient. This resilience owes much to public spending and Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) funds under the Next\u202fGeneration\u202fEU program. Countries like Spain and France, for example, are benefiting from significant civil\u2011engineering and public\u2011works investments that shore up the non\u2011residential sector.<\/p>\n

    Conversely, the residential sector is likely to continue contracting in many parts of Europe. In Germany, despite strong housing demand, residential investment has fallen sharply in recent years, with a recovery now expected only from\u202f2025 onward. France faces a similar slowdown, driven by a stagnating real\u2011estate market and broader economic uncertainty.<\/p>\n

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    Italy: Major Projects and Incentive Reforms<\/h2>\n

    Italy\u2019s strategy combines a significant uptick in strategic infrastructure investment with a recalibration of residential\u2011building incentives. Iconic projects such as the Strait of Messina Bridge join established high\u2011speed rail, port, and metro network initiatives\u2014aimed at boosting economic growth through public\u2011works modernization and expansion.<\/p>\n

    At the same time, public subsidies for residential construction are being restructured to ease the fiscal burden of the Superbonus and to allocate resources more efficiently and sustainably. The goal is not to abandon renovations, but to manage them in a way that balances national financial stability with the promotion of energy efficiency and building upgrades. Strategic investments in the energy and utilities sectors are set to shape significantly the future growth and direction of the entire construction industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The construction sector\u2014a major economic powerhouse and infrastructural pillar\u2014now stands at the crossroads of unprecedented global challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":25176,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[783],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25179"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25771,"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25179\/revisions\/25771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartbuildingexpo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}