The Centre for Worldwide Sustainable Construction (CWSC) is a global research, innovation, and knowledge hub working to advance a more sustainable, inclusive built environment - for all.
Why CWSC exists
Today, buildings are responsible for 42% of global carbon emissions - and we are adding to it rapidly. Meeting global housing needs alone means building the equivalent of one New York City every month until 2060 and an estimated two thirds of the infrastructure in use by 2050 has not yet been built.
Most of this growth will happen in emerging economies, especially across Africa, where rapid urbanisation will shape the future environmental impact of construction.
We have a narrow window to act. If we don't scale sustainable practices now, we risk locking in decades of carbon-intensive development.
CWSC is here to make sustainable construction accessible, affordable, and achievable worldwide - creating a built environment that is sustainable, resilient, fair, and inclusive for generations to come.
CWSC delivers across four key pillars:
Research
We conduct evidence-based research that deepens understanding and delivers more effective sustainable construction solutions.
Education
We deliver world-class educational programmes that build the knowledge, skills, and leadership needed to deliver best practice and policy for sustainable construction.
Innovation
We deliver transformative technologies and practices through industry-wide collaboration, to accelerate the development and adoption of sustainable construction worldwide.
Policy
We deliver advice, evidence resources and support that enable policymakers to implement effective sustainable construction practices.
Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit 2026
Transforming the built environment for climate and wellbeing
20-22 April 2026
CWSC and GlobalABC will co-host the Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit at EPFL's SwissTech Convention Center.
Around 700 participants from across sectors and regions will explore practical ways to build within planetary boundaries while improving resilience, inclusion and quality of life.
For more on the programme, registration and sponsorship click here
Our Team
Latest News
Today's technologies can meet global urban housing needs while cutting construction emissions
Two new studies in Nature, co-authored by CWSC's Professor Karen Scrivener and team, show that major cuts in construction emissions are feasible while meeting construction growth demands, principally through use of low-carbon cement.
Timely deployment of best-in-class technologies to enable development and decarbonise construction
- shows that around 70-73% of projected CO2 from cement and steel could eliminated by 2050 using existing solutions.
Read the full paperLow-carbon concrete has the potential to meet global urban housing needs by 2050
- shows that while bio-based materials can contribute, low-carbon concrete is the lowest-carbon option that can be scaled-up to meet global demand by 2050
Read the full paperOur Partners
CWSC works with leading global initiatives to accelerate the transition to sustainable construction. Together, we drive progress in low-carbon materials, open data, and new ways of building. Explore the work of initiatives such as Limestone Calcinated Clay Cement (LC3) and the Global Building Data Initiative (GBDI) below.
Limestone Calcinated Clay Cement (LC3)
Limestone Calcinated Clay Cement (LC3) is a low-carbon alternative to conventional cement, replacing much of the energy-intensive clinker with calcinated clay and limestone.
These abundant materials reduce reliance on clinker, the main source of emissions, cutting CO2 by up to 40%. LC3 matches the strength, durability, and performance of Portland cement and can be produced with existing equipment, making it a practical, scalable solution for more sustainable cement manufacturing.
Global Building Data Initiative (GBDI)
GBDI supports industry leaders and policymakers with open, globally coordinated standards for life cycle data generation, exchange, and assessment, informing critical decisions to improve resource use, emissions and whole life cycle performance of buildings.
GBDI promotes global cooperation for resilient, sustainable construction with a focus on Global South partnerships. Partners using GBDI's open-source methods and tools benefit from comprehensive analytics and robust benchmarking to drive rapid, equitable decarbonisation action.