IEA report finds 25% building energy intensity cut by 2035 is achievable

SHOTS Desk · Fri · 6 Nov 2026 · 04:20 · Reported

Buildings worldwide could improve their energy intensity by at least 25% by 2035 using technologies and policy tools already available, but progress would need to more than double from current rates, according to a new IEA special report. The report was prepared at the request of Türkiye and Australia under a strategic partnership between the COP31 Presidency and the IEA.

The IEA identifies four main levers: more efficient equipment, which accounts for 40% of the projected reduction; expanded access to clean cooking, 25%; better building envelopes, 20%; and electrification of end-uses, up to 15%. Together these measures could also cut the sector's direct CO2 emissions by nearly 40% by 2035.

Today, buildings account for around 30% of total final energy consumption, half of all electricity use and 2.8 gigatonnes of direct CO2 emissions annually, the report notes.

"More energy-efficient buildings can cut emissions worldwide while making a tangible difference to people's daily lives," s

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