Traditional energy systems have low energy efficiency and high carbon emissions

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the abstract and stated research gap and stated challenges of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2024 and 2026, spanning 5 journals. Those papers have been cited 35 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 5 representative gaps

• Two Decades of Embodied Carbon in MENA’s Construction Sector: Regional Insights and Policy Implications (2026) · Journal of Construction Engineering and Management · doi

  Abstract The construction sector is a major contributor to global CO 2 emissions, yet embodied emissions in construction supply chains remain poorly quantified in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where hydrocarbon-based growth, rapid urbanization, and recurrent reconstruction have created one of the world’s most dynamic construction markets.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: construction emissions abstract sector major contributor global embodied supply chains remain poorly quantified middle east
• Integrating waste heat and biomass energy in a three-entropy state framework optimized by emergy-carbon-neural network for sustainable buildings (2026) · Scientific Reports · doi

  Traditional energy systems have low energy efficiency and high carbon emissions. There is a need for a novel building energy supply system that can integrate industrial waste heat and biomass energy. The construction sector lacks a comprehensive evaluation of the energy efficiency and carbon emissions reduction of building energy supply systems.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: traditional energy systems have low efficiency high carbon
• Evaluating the Contribution of Lean Construction to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (2024) · Sustainability · cited 24× · doi

  The construction industry's heavy reliance on raw materials strains global resource reserves and contributes to environmental degradation and increased greenhouse gas emissions. The construction sector's high energy consumption and waste generation pose significant challenges to sustainability. The industry's lack of awareness of ecologically friendly production techniques and resource-efficient methodologies hinders the adoption of sustainable practices.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: construction industry heavy reliance raw materials strains global
• Analyzing the Role of Circular Services in Revenue Generation in the Construction Industry: Evidence from Colombia (2026) · Urban Science · doi

  The construction sector has significant environmental impacts due to its intensive consumption of energy and virgin materials. The sector's dependence on virgin material extraction and its contribution to waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions are major challenges. The study highlights the need to translate circular principles into concrete service offerings to generate economic value.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: construction sector has significant environmental impacts due intensive
• Life Cycle Assessment with Carbon Footprint Analysis in Glulam Buildings: A Review (2025) · Buildings · cited 11× · doi

  The construction industry's heavy reliance on carbon-intensive materials poses a critical challenge to climate sustainability. There is a need for a radical transformation within the sector to achieve the climate objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement. Mass timber, particularly glulam, has the potential to reduce the sector's environmental impact, but its sustainability performance needs to be comprehensively assessed.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: construction industry heavy reliance carbon-intensive materials poses critical

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