Global Scans · Construction · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: 65 per cent of global construction growth for the next decade will happen in emerging markets. Smart cities, sustainable construction, greater urbanization and pre-fabricated buildings will all play their part in future construction growth.

• [New] Hochul doubled down in 2023 with the All-Electric Building Act, banning natural gas hookups for new buildings starting in 2026. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] By the end of 2029, the construction sector is projected to expand from its 2024 value of GBP 161.39 billion to approximately GBP 204.12 billion. Yahoo Finance UK
• [New] By the end of 2029, the construction sector is projected to expand from its 2024 value of USD 1.20 trillion to approximately USD 1.59 trillion. Yahoo Finance
• [New] By 2035, Saudi Arabia is expected to be a regional leader in nanomaterial-enabled clean technologies, contributing significantly to CNT demand growth across energy, defence, and construction applications. EIN Presswire
• [New] The construction industry, over the remainder of the forecast period, is expected to record an average annual growth of 3.2% from 2026 to 2029, supported by investments in transport, housing, and energy projects. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Over the remainder of the forecast period, the construction industry is expected to record average annual growth of 3.6% between 2026 and 2029, supported by government spending in educational facilities, infrastructure projects, and renewable energies, among other projects. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Peru's construction industry is expected to expand by 3.8% in real terms in 2025, supported by private investments in the mining sector, public spending in energy infrastructure, and elevated revenue from copper and gold exports. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Buildings generate one-third of global energy use and emissions while being increasingly impacted by climate hazards. UNEP - UN Environment Programme
• [New] By 2050, embodied carbon could comprise up to half of all lifecycle emissions in high-efficiency buildings. Verdani Partners
• [New] Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal (Japan): deep-learning models predict micro-crystal formation, producing ultra-strong alloys for seismic-resistant buildings. Logiciel Solutions
• [New] Recycling sand and gravel aggregates from construction and demolition waste could meet half of China's demand for the materials essential for building skyscrapers, roads and railways by 2050, a Chinese-led study has found. South China Morning Post
• [New] The Housing Acceleration Fund, administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, will provide low-cost, construction loans to fill financing gaps in the construction of mixed-income housing developments. Governor Kathy Hochul
• [New] The Australian construction industry is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.2% from 2026 to 2029, supported by public and private investment in energy infrastructure and housing projects. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Ottawa plans to attract investment to unlock AI data centers for the next generation of infrastructure, supercharge housing construction and further develop a defence industry. BNN Bloomberg
• [New] The United Arab Emirates has begun construction of what will likely be the world's largest integrated solar plus battery storage project when fully operational in 2027. The Weekly Anthropocene
• [New] In a world of climate volatility, energy shocks, and tightening regulation, industrial AI is also being deployed for resilience, predicting overheating risks in buildings before they happen, rebalancing electrical loads in stressed grids, and adapting systems rapidly during extreme weather. Forbes
• [New] Projects already under construction alone could more than double current BECCS capacity and expand DACS capacity by a factor of 50 worldwide. IEA
• [New] Meta's data center in Louisiana will have a complex of nine buildings with a bank of servers. Market Research Company - Blackridge Research & Consult
• [New] In early October, Intel announced a new fabrication plant in Arizona called Fab 52, which is now operational and will begin shipping data center products early 2026. Peterson Technology Partners
• [New] Modular retrofit has been gaining traction across Europe for several years, driven by large-scale initiatives such as Energiesprong, which demonstrate the transformative potential of offsite prefabrication applied to existing buildings. Medium

Last updated: 19 November 2025