European Sustainability Report 2024

In recent years, sustainable construction has become a fundamental strategic necessity in
the building construction sector. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the
building and construction industry contributes significantly to global climate change,
accounting for 37% of annual global CO2 emissions and 34% of the global energy demand.
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These alarming statistics resulted in several initiatives to encourage the construction industry
to support the agenda of sustainable development. The European Union took one step
further by initiating the Green Deal policy for achieving ‘net zero’ CO
2 emissions by 2050,
urging all types of industries to adopt more environmentally conscious practices.
Understanding how sustainability affects the way of working within the industry is crucial for
any company’s future success. Key stakeholders within the industry (building owners,
architects, contractors, installers, manufacturers, wholesalers etc.) are already implementing
new effective strategies for constructing sustainable buildings, but the pace of change differs
in each European country. Knowing where, how, and when these trends become relevant is
the key market intelligence input for strategic decision making.

This report provides in-depth insights based on triangulation of key market information and data as well as
data from USP Marketing Consultancy’s key monitors that are carried out every year. The focus of this
report is on the most important stakeholders within the construction industry, namely architects, contractors,
electrical installers and HVAC installers in The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany,
Poland, France, Italy, and Spain.
On the topic sustainability, over 11.000 phone interviews were conducted among these stakeholders in the
past 5 years, the results of which will serve as the basis for this report. In addition, insights into the
consumer market are given, which are based on more than 9.500 online interviews on sustainability
conducted over the past years. In combination with the desk research conducted, this report will give a solid
and comprehensive overview on the topic of sustainability within the European Construction industry.

This report contains several years of research conducted among key stakeholders in the
European construction industry and will provide insights into the current and future
developments within the industry. It will answer questions such as what perspectives do
professionals have on sustainability? In what ways do professionals fulfil the need for
sustainable construction? Which stakeholders are crucial for driving sustainable
construction? And what will the future look like?

What are most used product solutions regarding sustainable construction?

What is expected renewable energy source share in 2024?

What are 3 most familiar sustainability initiatives among architects?

1. Introduction
2. Background
3. Perception of sustainable construction
4. Fulfilment of sustainable construction
5. Driving forces and barriers to sustainable construction
6. The future of sustainable construction