SREF Releases White Paper Outlining Trillion-Dollar Global Housing Transition Strategy
The Sustainable Real Estate Forum (SREF) has released a white paper titled 'The Trillion-Dollar Housing Transition,' which will be featured at COP31. The report argues that global climate action and affordable housing must be integrated, noting that buildings must be energy-efficient to remain economically viable over their lifecycles. With operational emissions from buildings reaching 9.9 GtCO₂ in 2024, the paper highlights a massive investment gap: cumulative building energy efficiency investment needs to reach USD 5.9 trillion by 2030. The report emphasizes that capital availability is not the primary bottleneck; rather, the challenge lies in the market's ability to create credible, investable pathways for decarbonization. While investor appetite remains strong—with €117 billion raised for non-listed real estate in 2025—the transition requires standardized data and professional valuation to effectively price transition risks and support assets that are not yet energy efficient.
Topics: decarbonization ESG property valuation real estate finance sustainable housing