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] By 2029, several new gas pipeline projects are expected to be completed, three of which are slated to finish construction in 2026. Insurance Journal
• [New] Weather-related productivity losses on Australian construction projects are among the most underestimated budget risks, with many project managers failing to build adequate contingency until they have been caught out at least once. Harrison Barratt Group
• [New] Construction of CO2 transport and storage infrastructure has now begun at both Track-1 clusters, which are expected to start operations in 2028. Climate Change Committee
• [New] Building regulations: revised regulations requiring low-carbon heating in new buildings will be implemented in England and Wales in 2027 and are already in force in Scotland. Climate Change Committee
• [New] Data center construction alone will require $2.9 trillion by 2028, much of it debt-financed. X (formerly Twitter)
• [New] Contractor demand is softer in 2026 but expected to rebound strongly in 2027, driven by improving residential and nonresidential construction. Electrical Trends
• [New] With more than 50 GW of offshore wind projects in construction around the world, annual installations are expected to double in 2026, triple by 2031, and surpass 50 GW per year by 2035. Global Wind Energy Council
• [New] The data center boom will generate roughly 4.7 million temporary construction jobs. Fortune
• [New] Construction spending on commercial fusion plants will reach $73.1bn per year by 2040, more than three times the $20bn worth of electricity it expects them to generate by then. Electricity Info
• [New] America aims to deploy 35 GW of new nuclear capacity by 2035 - a target requiring an unprecedented construction acceleration. Energy Projects Conference 2026
• [New] Abu Dhabi, which left OPEC in May to pursue an ambitious growth strategy, is now accelerating construction of a second pipeline to double export capacity via Fujairah by 2027. MarineLink
• [New] To comply with all existing directives by 2040, the investment shortfall is estimated at €82 billion per year, half of which is concentrated in a few sectors: construction (€18 billion), vehicles and batteries (€ 10-12 billion), and electronic and textile waste. Institut Jacques Delors
• [New] 'Zero-emission' will become the standard for new buildings owned by public bodies from 2028 and for all new buildings from 2030. Energy
• [New] For non-residential buildings, such as offices, schools or hospitals, minimum energy performance standards will trigger the renovation of the 16% worst-performing buildings by 2030 and of the 26% worst-performing buildings by 2033. Energy
• [New] EU countries are developing their own national building renovation plans to transform residential and non-residential buildings, both public and private, by 2050. Energy
• [New] With half of the buildings that will exist in 2050 still yet to be built or renovated, the choices made today will shape emissions, energy use and quality of life for generations. UNEP - UN Environment Programme
• [New] As a new technology, artificial intelligence in construction will approach RUB 4.5 billion by 2026. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Extreme droughts in East and Southeast Asia have limited purified water availability for semiconductor fabrication and copper ore processing in key South American mining regions, exposing vulnerabilities throughout high-tech supply chains. GOV.UK
• [New] Starting in 2028, property owners with buildings larger than 50,000 square feet will have to track and report their emissions for the previous year. ecoRI News
• [New] The NYPA is soliciting requests for qualifications in building a 1 GW nuclear power plant with construction starting no later than 2032 to qualify for federal tax credits. National Conference of State Legislatures
• [New] New York Gov. Kathy Hochul took two steps toward deploying new commercial nuclear reactors announcing solicitations for workforce training and for a developer to start construction of at least one new reactor by 2032. National Conference of State Legislatures

Last updated: 01 July 2026