Saint-Gobain releases 4th edition of Sustainable Construction Barometer

#1 Sustainable construction: now an established concept, but unevenly adopted. 

Sustainable construction is now a widely recognized concept. 67% of stakeholders and 39% of citizens say they understand exactly what the concept is all about; 94% and 84% respectively are at least aware of it.

However, this widespread recognition coexists with significant variations across regions and countries. Stakeholder awareness remains lower in Asia-Pacific (58%) than in the Middle East (75%), and there are sometimes considerable differences within the same region: in Europe, the gap between Romania (86%) and Czech Republic (40%) illustrates the difference in maturity between countries in the same area. Among citizens, familiarity with the concept remains socially differentiated, and is higher among young people and university graduates.

Sustainable construction is thus emerging as a common framework, while its adoption is progressing at different speeds across regions and profiles.

#2 Resilience gaining ground, benefits to be better highlighted to keep up the momentum. 

Among the criteria cited to define sustainable construction, resilience continues to gain ground. After a sharp increase in the previous edition (up 8 points between 2024 and 2025), it gained another 5 points this year among both stakeholders and citizens, with a particularly strong importance in Africa and the Middle East, regions already exposed to extreme climates.

Interviews with financial stakeholders highlight the growing attention paid to resilience, while also emphasizing the need to clarify its definition and demonstrate a clear return on investment.

#3 The value of sustainable construction: a central issue. 

Beyond knowledge of sustainable construction, the question of its value proves decisive. 47% of stakeholders believe that sustainable construction creates more value than traditional construction (a new question in 2026). This perception is weaker in some regions (38% in Asia-Pacific, 45% in Europe) and among elected officials, with only 34% saying they are convinced.

The competitiveness of solutions remains perceived as a crucial driver for fast-tracking sustainable construction: as in the previous edition, it is cited by nearly one in three stakeholders. Furthermore, respondents in favor of “going backwards” on sustainable construction (a minority opinion, representing only 6% of stakeholders) mainly cite excessive costs and a lack of performance guarantees for users.

It’s no longer just a question of asserting the ambitions of sustainable construction. There is a need to show its value: demonstrating tangible benefits, guaranteeing performance for users, and substantiating the competitiveness of solutions in order to become firmly established in decision-making by stakeholders.

#4 Shared intentions, but limited action so far. 

There is broad consensus on the need to speed up: 87% of stakeholders believe that there is a need to go further. Stakeholders upstream in the value chain (architects and engineering firms) continue to be identified as drivers (56%, stable), and the expected momentum is based on cooperation between stakeholders rather than on a single leader.

However, for the third year running, practices are struggling to keep up. Only 32% of professionals routinely assess carbon footprints and 30% say they already carry out sustainable projects, compared with 55% who say that they “intend to do so”. Among elected officials, while sustainability remains an important criterion in the awarding of public contracts (86%), it has declined since the previous edition (98% in 2025). Among students and associations, good intentions still weigh heavier than taking action: 78% of students value training in sustainable construction, but only 5% would categorically refuse a job offer from a company that is not committed to sustainability. 24% of associations have already boycotted unsustainable projects, while 50% might do so in the future.

#5 Citizen buy-in as a driver to fast-tracking deployment? 

The barometer also highlights the important role of citizens in accelerating the transition toward sustainable construction.

63% of citizens consider the development of more sustainable construction to be a priority, up 4 points from the previous edition. Citizens are also paying increasing attention to the health and well-being benefits for occupants: 19% of citizens now include this aspect in their definition of sustainable construction (up 4 points).

Furthermore, nearly one-third of citizens and stakeholders believe that raising public awareness is essential to stepping up progress.

Strengthening the visibility of the value created—particularly for building users—can therefore play a key role in accelerating adoption and scaling sustainable construction practices.