The United Nations Environment Programme reports that the construction sector accounts for 37 percent of global emissions. In fact, it is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases.
And yet, construction continues to grow year after year, trying to accommodate the growing needs of the world population.
According to the US Census Bureau, the country spent over $840 billion on construction from January to May 2025. From residential projects to public sector entities and educational institutions, the global building boom seems unlikely to abate.
Against this backdrop, managers must take responsibility for minimizing the climate change impact of various construction projects. Strategic moves involving innovative solutions and informed monitoring can help the sector become more environmentally responsible.
1. Instill Individual and Team Accountability
From the outset, greener construction must be an integrated effort that demands both individual and team performance. More organizations now accept the need to develop accountability among their employees by promoting a more eco-conscious culture.
A study published in ScienceDirect found that three factors have the most influence on environmental performance. These include green human resource management (GHRM), innovation, and competitive advantage. Focusing on these aspects within the company can help construction professionals sync with environmental needs.
For example, managers can develop job descriptions that integrate climate change issues. It will help the firm recruit personnel who have a sharp environmental consciousness. These recruits will assist the organization with driving a cultural change across departments, from procuring eco-friendly materials to minimizing waste.
Similarly, managers can include accountability for environmental issues in performance reviews and rewards. This approach can encourage individuals and teams to prioritize climate change action in daily operations, such as choosing resilient over non-durable designs for windows and doors.
For example, Lendlease, the Australian real estate major, actively recruits professionals experienced in recycling building materials and renewable energy sources. Lower embodied carbon materials are especially essential for the firm, and they proactively promote a culture of sustainability and waste efficiency.
2. Provide Upskilling Opportunities for Energy-Efficient Solutions
Another impactful approach to making the construction sector more eco-friendly is empowering professionals with the skills required to make this change. As the pace of climate change has become frightening, upskilling must also become more urgent.
Managers can advocate for relevant training opportunities across the board to make emission reduction an integral part of every project. For instance, professionals can learn to implement technologies that achieve this, such as a thermal break to improve the insulation of a building and maintain a pleasant temperature.
The emissions from air-conditioning units could increase significantly in the near future, thanks to global warming and the increased accessibility of ACs. The International Energy Agency predicts that the world could have more than 5.5 billion air-conditioning units by 2050. Fabreeka notes that thermal break materials such as polyurethane foam can noticeably improve insulation and lower energy bills.
Professionals who are aware of such solutions and have the confidence to implement them can do the sector a favor in these challenging times.
Here are a few more relevant trainings for managers to consider:
- Decarbonizing building materials
- Smart building management
- Transitioning to regenerative materials
3. Define Metrics to Gauge the Impact of Climate Change Action
As managers strive to bring greater sustainability and accountability in construction, they must also design metrics to measure the impact of these initiatives. Efforts that go unmonitored will be tricky to place in the context of other business activities. Even worse, those that are insufficiently measured have a high risk of ending up as greenwashing.
Let us take an example. A 2023 McKinsey report highlighted how customers have become conscious of environmental sustainability. It showed that a firm’s growth rate relates positively to the number of ESG-related claims. At the same time, if these claims don’t receive backing from on-the-ground action, the customer response and criticism are also likely to be more severe.
As a project manager, you may need to reconsider the current monitoring metrics and establish new ones. These could be energy efficiency or energy consumption at various stages, such as laying the foundation and interior work. Waste-related metrics, such as the amount of waste generated and sent for recycling, can help you gauge the sustainability of the project.
The World Bank recommends tracking GHG emissions at a project and institutional level. Projects that actively build climate resilience, such as green bus stops with rainwater harvesting options, can track an organization’s impact on the environment.
You can also consider the following metrics based on the project stage:
- Sustainable sourcing of materials
- Communities or regions benefitting from green construction projects
- Cost benefits of greener alternatives, like bamboo over steel
Managing the environmental impact of an emission-heavy sector like construction is not straightforward. That said, there is an urgent need to mitigate the drastic effects of climate change, which have already started manifesting as adverse weather changes and health repercussions.
Project managers with foresight and sensitivity can usher in much-needed changes to manage this situation.
