UN report gives Ruto's affordable housing plan climate vote of confidence

The ‘Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2025–2026’ by the UN Environment Programme cites Kenya among countries developing climate roadmaps for the construction sector.

The report also mentions Kenya among states developing decarbonisation roadmaps for the sector. This means Kenya is being recognised internationally as one of the African states beginning to integrate climate thinking into urban policy.

It argues that governments must integrate affordable housing, energy efficiency and climate resilience as cities expand.

The study effectively places Kenya at the centre of a wider global challenge on providing affordable housing to a rapidly growing urban population, while avoiding the high-emission development models followed by many industrialised nations.

The report also comes as the Ruto administration pushes ahead with its flagship affordable housing programme, which has been presented as a social and economic pillar of the Kenya Kwanza agenda.

Unep, however, warns that nearly half of the world’s 2050 building stock has not yet been constructed, meaning countries now urbanising rapidly still have an opportunity to avoid locking themselves into high-carbon and inefficient infrastructure.

“The buildings and construction sector is central to these challenges,” the report states, noting that buildings shape how societies live, work and consume energy.

Land and Housing Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome is featured in the report. 

Wahome positions Kenya as pursuing “resilient and inclusive urban development” through climate-responsive housing and green construction standards.

“As outlined in Kenya’s Decarbonisation Roadmap and forthcoming Green Building Standards, climate-responsive planning combined with evidence-based decision-making is essential to safeguarding vulnerable communities from escalating risks such as heatwaves, flooding, and other climate-related hazards,” the CS said.

She added that the report supports this effort by providing the data and insights countries need to evaluate progress.

The study also identifies gaps and advances the development of a sustainable, resilient and inclusive building and construction sector, ensuring access to affordable housing for all.

The report says viewing the housing affordability crisis together with the climate crisis offers governments an opportunity to address both challenges simultaneously.

It identifies Kenya among countries that have recently developed decarbonisation roadmaps for the buildings and construction sector, alongside Bangladesh, Jordan and Ghana.

Additionally, it cites Kenya’s National Building Code 2024, which came into force in March last year, as introducing standards on safety, sustainability and energy efficiency across residential, commercial and public buildings.

The code mandates passive cooling strategies such as shading, natural ventilation, insulation, evaporative cooling and reflective coatings to reduce reliance on air conditioners and other energy-intensive cooling systems.

Unep says Kenya’s endorsement of the Declaration de Chaillot and its role in the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate position the country as “a regional example” for embedding climate-responsive design into national regulations.

The report also highlights ongoing work by the Global Buildings Performance Network with the State Department for Public Works to develop a national decarbonisation roadmap for the buildings sector between 2026-40.

The roadmap refers to a climate action plan designed to transition high-emitting sectors — buildings, construction and industry — toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is in alignment with the Paris Agreement and Kenya's Nationally Determined Contribution.

According to Unep, the roadmap seeks to strengthen green building standards, promote low-carbon construction materials, improve energy efficiency and support affordable housing through inclusive implementation measures.

The report, however, also raises difficult questions for governments pursuing mass housing projects.

It warns that the global buildings sector remains far off track in meeting net-zero emissions goals. Operational emissions from buildings have rose by 6.5 per cent since 2015 instead of falling sharply as required under global climate targets.

It adds that affordable housing can rely on nature-based solutions, traditional and low-carbon construction materials, circular economy practices and conversion of existing buildings to reduce exposure to economic shocks and supply chain disruptions.

The findings are likely to strengthen the government’s argument that affordable housing is not only a social programme but also part of climate adaptation and urban resilience.

This is even as rapid urbanisation continues to pile pressure on housing demand in cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

Globally, residential buildings account for more than 77 per cent of total building floor space and about 70 per cent of buildings’ energy demand, making housing central to global climate efforts.

The report further notes that around one billion people worldwide continue to live in informal settlements, exposing millions to climate risks such as flooding, heatwaves and poor infrastructure.

Unep says Africa is among the regions where governments urgently need stronger building codes and zero-emission standards as urban growth accelerates.

“At least all G20 countries and 75 other countries should have zero-emissions aligned building codes by 2030,” the report says, adding that such efforts are especially urgent “in high-growth areas such as Africa.”