Estimation of global building stocks by 2070: Unlocking renovation potential

Buildings produce one-third of carbon emissions globally; however, the absence of data regarding global floorspace poses challenges in advancing building carbon neutrality. We compile the measured building stocks for 14 major economies and apply our global building stock model (GLOBUS) to evaluate future trends in stock turnover. Based on a scenario not considering renovation, by 2070, the building stock in developed economies will be ∼1.4 times that of 2020 (100 billion m2); in developing economies, it is expected to be 2.2 times that of 2020 (313 billion m2). Based on a techno-economic potential scenario, however, stocks in developed economies will decline to approximately 0.8 times the 2020 level, while stocks in developing economies will increase to nearly twice the 2020 level due to their having fewer buildings currently. Overall, GLOBUS provides a way to calculate the global building stock, helping scientists, engineers, and policymakers conduct a range of investigations across various future scenarios.