The new National Building Code 2024, which came into force beginning this month, has placed Kenya highly on the global map as one of the countries with the most effective tools for curbing emissions in the sector. 

Kenya has been listed among European giants, Germany and Iceland, which also recently updated their building codes to factor in the adoption of renewable integration, life cycle assessments and energy-efficient design for buildings.  

Previously, Kenya’s construction sector had been regulated by a half-a-century-old set of codes that were drafted in 1968, five years after attaining independence. 

This post-independence codes had never been revised to cater for emerging issues including adopting any known international building standards, modern building technologies or recognising the need for an independent regulatory authority to enforce the code. 

Strategic framework  

Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome together with the National Construction Authority (NCA) Board developed the National Building Code 2024, which was later published as Legal Notice No. 47 on March 1, 2024- repealing the Local Government (Adoptive By-Laws) (Building) Order 1968. 

“Kenya is advancing its sustainable development agenda using its New National Building Code, 2024, which came into effect on March 1, 2025 and sets forth energy performance standards aimed at improving resource efficiencies and sustainability,” the CS is quoted in the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024/2025, released recently by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 

The report emphasises that national policies play a pivotal role in advancing the decarbonisation and sustainability of the buildings and construction sector and provide the strategic framework necessary to align long-term goals, incentivise innovation, and foster sustainable practices. 

However, UNEP reported that as of early this year, the buildings and construction sector, which includes the embodied carbon of construction materials, continues to grapple with its significant contribution to global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. 

In 2023, emissions from the construction sector stood at 34 per cent, while energy consumption accounted for around 34 per cent of global demand. 

“Despite modest advancements, the sector is not yet on track to align with net zero carbon and climate resilience targets by 2050, as progress remains slow and fragmented. Carbon dioxide emissions from the sector have risen by five per cent since 2015, far from meeting the 28 per cent reduction required by 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement,” UNEP observed. 

The global environmental agency took note of innovative national policies from countries like Germany, South Africa and Rwanda that demonstrate the effectiveness of combining mandatory performance standards, economic incentives and financial mechanisms to support green construction.  

“Germany’s Federal Climate Change Act sets ambitious emission-reduction targets and provides subsidies for energy-efficient retrofits, while Rwanda’s cooling strategies and renewable energy incentives showcase the transformative potential of regulatory and market-based approaches,” UNEP noted. 

For the construction sector to attain net zero emission targets by the middle of this century, UNEP emphasised that building policies must be linked with broader climate goals, like the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) among countries. 

Green building 

Among the notable progress made in the construction sector in 2024 was the increase in the adoption of renewable energy and electrification, especially for heating and cooling systems. 

Additionally, green building certifications grew significantly, with 20 per cent of new commercial buildings in OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries of North America, South America, Europe and South Asia achieving certification in 2023, up from 15 per cent in 2020. 

UNEP proposed adopting circular construction practices by countries to significantly reduce waste, conserve resources and mitigate climate and environmental impacts on a global scale. 

“Circular construction practices—such as material reuse and modular building—are also gaining ground, with recycled materials accounting for 18 per cent of construction inputs in Europe,” the report says. 

Among the challenges crippling the building sector is embodied carbon from materials like steel and cement, contributing 18 per cent of global building-related carbon dioxide emissions. 

The global body underscored the urgent need to harmonise building codes, scale low-carbon materials, increase equitable access to green financing and incentivise circular construction. 

Globally, it is estimated that the building sector generates two billion tonnes of construction and demolition waste annually, accounting for approximately one-third of all global waste. 

The report comes a week after the Cabinet passed a resolution for the nationwide removal of asbestos from public and private houses for posing a health hazard to the public. 

The cabinet directed the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) to oversee the process and ensure safe handling, disposal, and compliance with environmental regulations.  

Used as roofing material, asbestos was introduced in Kenya’s construction sector in the 1960s and 1970s and has been prominent on many public buildings, government hospitals and public schools. By Samuel Kariuki, People Daily