Green-Building Practices: Reducing Emissions and Enhancing Urban Housing Sustainability in Africa

Abstract

Through a systematic concept map, this study theoretically explores the 
effectiveness of green-building practices in reducing carbon emissions and 
enhancing sustainability in urban housing. The building and construction 
industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions globally 
because of its substantial use of materials and energy, which inevitably results 
in carbon emissions and waste, thereby worsening the greenhouse effect by 
causing global temperature rise. The adverse consequences of these practices 
are amplified as society's resources are depleted through the consumption of 
non-renewable energy sources, thus contributing to the gradual deterioration 
of the earth's ecological environment. Importantly, the long lifespan of existing 
buildings means that the impact of poor building practices in Africa will be felt 
for decades to come. The researcher conducted a systematic literature review 
involving peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, books and 
relevant industry reports obtained from academic databases such as Scopus, 
Web of Science and Google Scholar. The review was structured on essential 
themes surrounding sustainable building practices in urban housing, capable 
of reducing carbon emissions. The study found that the use of non-renewable 
energy sources, such as coal, oil, gas and diesel generators which are heavily 
relied upon for heating, cooling and lighting of buildings lead to high carbon 
emissions, putting them among the primary drivers of carbon emissions in the 
construction sector. Numerous studies have highlighted not only challenges 
but also the effectiveness of green building practices in mitigating carbon 
emissions and promoting sustainability in urban housing. It was also found that 
the adoption of green building practices such as energy-efficient design, 
renewable energy integration and efficient water management can lead to 
reductions of up to 30% in CO2 emissions while simultaneously improving 
indoor air quality and creating a healthier and more comfortable living 
environment for residents in the African context. Given these findings, the 
study concludes that inefficient building design and construction practices 
result in energy-inefficient buildings that undermine efforts to reduce carbon 
emissions.