UNECE: Construction transformation must cover entire value chain

The transformation of the construction sector must cover the entire value chain, Dmitry Mariyasin, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), said.

According to Report, he made the remarks on the third day of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026).

Mariyasin said implementation would require looking beyond individual buildings and considering the entire value chain, as well as the full life cycle of the built environment.

"Transforming the construction supply chain can make a lasting contribution. But looking at the value chain is more difficult than looking at a single building. We need to accelerate energy efficiency, reduce environmental impacts and at the same time keep the value chain financially and economically viable. Otherwise, it does not work," he said.

He added that this would require stronger coordination between the construction sector, industry, energy systems, public policy and urban planning.

Mariyasin said one of the most significant remaining gaps concerns data on embodied carbon in construction materials.

He noted that policymakers, investors and building owners today have greater access to information on operational energy efficiency and performance, although carrying out energy efficiency audits remains difficult in many developing countries.

According to Mariyasin, this is often not due to a lack of interest or motivation, but rather to a shortage of qualified specialists capable of conducting proper energy efficiency audits.

He said the issue becomes even more complex when embodied emissions in materials are taken into account.

"This is still at the technological frontier for most countries, including some of the most advanced economies. If we look at raw material extraction, manufacturing, construction, renovation and, importantly, end-of-life management of buildings, accounting for embodied carbon becomes even more complicated," he said.