Climate change is occurring, according to the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). When such an important finding comes from one of the most conservative group of scientists worldwide, it should be taken as a clear warning of the importance of considering this issue seriously and the critical need to start searching for solutions before it is too late.

The built environment is responsible for about 48 percent of all energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and 30–40 percent of the total carbon emissions in the United Kingdom. The construction sector in India emits about 22 percent of the total annual emissions of CO2. The production of construction materials is primarily dependent on conventional energy sources in many parts of the world. Of the emissions from the construction sector, around 80 percent are generated as a result of the products/industrial processes associated with energy intensive building materials (i.e. cement, lime, steel, brick and aluminum.) Over the next three decades, building stock is projected to grow extensively, which creates an extraordinary opportunity to achieve significant emissions reductions in the sector. Pressure to slash CO2 emissions continues to mount, with growing levels of legislation and incentives to preserve our environment. To meet these targets, considerable research into energy efficiency is underway.