Answer: Between 5% and 10% !
The carbon footprint of our homes comes both from the material used to build them (concrete, glass, metal, wood, ...), from the energy spent to create them and from their use (does not include heating, see section Energy). It is found in the 'Residential' and 'Construction' sections of our CO2 emissions distribution by sector:
Source: developpement-durable.gouv.fr
The good news is, the carbon footprint of our buildings has greatly reduced in the last 30 years, mainly thanks to a clear improvement of the manufacturing and buidling processes. Buildings are also far better insulated than they used to be in the early 2000s.
However, in order to make our constructions even more sustainable, new types of buildings are being developed: eco-buildings. With low energy consumption, and sometimes cheaper and more good-looking, these buildings are generally made of wood, straw or hemp, and use local and renewable materials. They also highly reduce the amount of waste generated by constructions. Think about it if you plan on building your own house!
