The power of data: accelerating the transition to a net-zero built environment

Around 30% of global carbon emissions come from building operations. CFP Green Buildings’ international data platform, NXTBLDNG, maps these emissions at individual building level and provides actionable insights for cities, regions and countries worldwide. The platform identifies where carbon reductions are most effective and where the sustainability transition can accelerate.

The power of insight

Globally, buildings account for a significant share of operational carbon emissions. To drive targeted improvements, decision makers need to understand exactly where those emissions originate for each building, building type and region. Until recently, this level of insight was often missing because data was fragmented or based on averages.

NXTBLDNG changes this. By connecting millions of data sources, ranging from energy use and building characteristics to installations and occupancy types, the platform creates a digital twin for every building. This produces a detailed digital representation that includes all relevant sustainability metrics.

This approach provides a complete and up to date picture of building performance across entire portfolios, cities or countries. The data highlights where the greatest carbon impact occurs, where investments yield the strongest returns and where policy can accelerate progress most effectively. By recognising patterns and comparing buildings, it becomes clear where real acceleration is possible in any part of the world.

To illustrate what this looks like in practice, let’s take a closer look at the data from the Netherlands.

Homes and offices: the heart of the Dutch transition

The data shows that homes and offices form the core of the decarbonisation challenge in the Netherlands. Homes produce by far the largest share of emissions, with more than 27 million tonnes of carbon per year, which represents over 60 percent of all emissions from the built environment. This is mainly due to their sheer number, with more than eight million homes, many of them built before 1990 and still largely dependent on natural gas. The challenge here is not complexity but scale and speed. Over the coming decades, millions of homes will need to become more energy efficient. Measures such as insulation, high performance glazing and hybrid heat pumps can together deliver substantial carbon reductions.

Offices account for 5.8 million tonnes of carbon per year. To meet the Paris Proof target of 19 kg CO2 per m² compared with the current 36 kg CO2 per m², measures such as BREEAM certification, carbon reporting and the electrification of installations are essential.

Retail and assembly buildings are among the most energy intensive categories, with 56 and 60 kg CO₂ per m² respectively. Although their total share is smaller, they present a significant technical challenge due to continuous energy demand, lighting, climate control and peak usage. Efficiency and smart technology are key in this segment.

The data makes the overall picture clear. Homes represent the volume of the task, offices act as accelerators and retail and assembly buildings present the technical complexity.

Regional differences: small margins, shared responsibility

When looking at total carbon emissions per province, the differences appear large. South Holland, North Brabant and North Holland produce the highest emissions in absolute terms and together account for more than half of all carbon emissions from the built environment in the Netherlands. This reflects their population density, building volume and economic activity.

However, once emissions are compared per square metre, a different picture emerges. The average carbon intensity across provinces is strikingly similar. Dutch buildings emit 29.2 kg CO2 per m² on average, and most provinces fall within a narrow range of 28 to 31 kg CO2 per m².
This shows that the energy performance of buildings is remarkably consistent across the country. Differences in absolute emissions arise mainly from the number and size of buildings, not from poorer performance.

Flevoland is the most energy efficient province with 25 kg CO2 per m², largely due to its younger building stock, higher electrification rates and the availability of renewable energy sources.

Because the carbon intensity per square metre varies so little, many measures can be scaled nationwide. The question is not where to act but how to accelerate together.

Energy use and electrification: the lever for transition

The data shows that natural gas remains the main source of building related carbon emissions in the Netherlands. Electrification, meaning the shift from fossil based heating systems to electric alternatives, is therefore one of the most powerful levers for achieving climate neutrality.

In all provinces, gas accounts for the largest share of carbon emissions, ranging from 57 to 66 percent. These differences reflect each province’s building stock and energy infrastructure.

• Flevoland has the lowest share of gas related emissions at 57.7 percent, supported by relatively new buildings, better insulation and high levels of renewable electricity.
• Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen have the highest shares, around 65 to 66 percent, due to older buildings, more detached homes and limited access to district heating.
• Utrecht sits near the national average at 60.4 percent, with a diverse building stock from historic city centres to office districts and new developments.

Every province can significantly reduce its emissions by advancing electrification, provided that policy, technology and collaboration are well aligned. Electrification is more than a technical upgrade, because it represents a fundamental system change. It requires a shift from individual gas boilers to collective heat networks, from centralised energy generation to decentralised local supply, and from passive monitoring to active, data driven management. Digital tools such as NXTBLDNG reveal where electrification is most cost effective and feasible.

At the same time, the growth in electric installations demands smart coordination with the electricity grid. Grid congestion is slowing progress in many areas, which makes insight into consumption profiles and local peaks increasingly important. Data helps balance speed, feasibility and reliability.

The data makes one thing clear. Regions that accelerate electrification today lay the foundation for a future in which the built environment becomes part of the solution rather than a source of emissions.

Focused investments in low performing buildings accelerate carbon reduction

Currently, only around 60 percent of Dutch buildings have a registered EPC. With about 500,000 labels registered each year, the pace needs to increase significantly to cover the entire building stock. NXTBLDNG supports this by storing data centrally and updating it continually. This ensures that knowledge on building performance is preserved and that the status of the energy transition remains accurate.

Buildings with labels E, F and G account for more than 3.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions. This is where the greatest improvement potential lies. These buildings can often achieve substantial gains with relatively simple measures such as insulation, high performance glazing and efficient heating systems.

Conclusion: investing in acceleration

The insights from NXTBLDNG show a consistent pattern. The energy transition in the built environment is not driven by guesswork but by focus. Knowing where the largest carbon reductions can be made by region, label and building type is essential for smart, scalable and financially viable action.

Data turns the challenge into something concrete. Collaboration makes it achievable. When governments, building owners and investors work from the same insights, the sustainable transformation of millions of buildings becomes a realistic path from ambition to action and from vision to net zero.