In the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events, sustainable construction has remained a central issue for the general public and industry stakeholders in the United States, although to accelerate the adoption of sustainable construction practices, they are demanding more competitive products and solutions.

These were among the chief findings in the 2026 Sustainable Construction Barometer, the fourth edition of the survey published by Saint-Gobain’s Sustainable Construction Observatory. The findings come as Americans face economic uncertainty, a strained housing supply, and continued international tensions, yet 91% of citizens still say implementing more sustainable construction is important or a priority (the same as 2025) and 89% of industry stakeholders say we need to do more (compared to 86% in 2025).

“The 2026 Sustainable Construction Barometer confirms what we are hearing and seeing from our customers in conversations everyday: Americans are looking to get more value, benefits, and resiliency out of their construction projects – and they see sustainable construction as an important tool to achieve that,” said Mark Rayfield, president and CEO, Saint-Gobain North America. “As the leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain is well positioned to meet consumer demand for these products and help educate the public and industry stakeholders about the solutions that will enable sustainable construction to continue to grow and thrive.”

Banks and insurers: real but still incomplete awareness

For the first time since its launch in 2023, the Sustainable Construction Barometer includes a qualitative international study conducted among the finance sector – commercial banks, development banks, and insurers – focusing on adaptation and resilience.

This new component complements the international quantitative survey carried out each year (4,800 stakeholders and 30,000 citizens across 30 countries).

The results show that climate adaptation and resilience are gaining ground everywhere: among financial players as well as stakeholders (26% of mentions, up 5 points compared to 2025 after an already significant increase the previous year) and citizens surveyed.

These dimensions refer to the ability of buildings and infrastructure to withstand climate hazards, absorb shocks, and preserve their value over time. However, they still struggle to become structuring criteria in economic models and remain difficult to translate operationally into credit or capital allocation decisions.

Energy Efficiency, Circular Economy, Reducing Carbon 

Stakeholders in the United States point equally (70%) to three top actions that are associated with sustainable construction – all of which are identified at significantly higher rates in the US compared to global respondents.  These include:

• Increasing energy efficiency (63% globally)
• Reusing Materials (59% globally)
• Reducing Carbon Footprint (57% globally)

More Understanding Needed on Sustainable Construction

While there is a clear desire to implement more sustainable construction, more education is needed among the general public for them to fully understand what sustainable construction is and the benefits it can offer. Only one-quarter of citizens in the US are familiar with and know exactly what sustainable construction is, compared to 39% globally. More than a third of US respondents (36%) have never heard of sustainable construction at all, versus only 16% globally. 

Industry stakeholders are much more familiar with sustainable construction, with 2/3 reporting they know exactly what it is about. Only 5% of stakeholders had never heard of sustainable construction. Given this, industry stakeholders can play an important role in helping the general public understand the benefits and value offered by sustainable construction. 

Architects and Engineers, Elected Official Identified as Key to Scale Up Sustainable Construction

Industry stakeholders are looking to several key groups that they feel are best positioned to advance sustainable construction. Architects and engineers were deemed the most influential group by 20 points (55%), with local elected officials or local government representatives coming in next with 35%. This was slightly higher than were government officials were ranked globally (30%). 

Additional Findings at a Glance 

• The results show a higher proportion of American stakeholders associating the following with sustainable construction compared to global respondents:
  • Reduced carbon footprint of building 70% (vs. 57% worldwide),
  • Building energy efficiency at 70% (vs. 63% globally),
  • Reusing materials at 70% (vs. 59% globally)
• Top 3 definitions that best fit sustainable construction according to:
  • Stakeholders:
    • Construction aimed at achieving carbon neutrality (32%)
    • Construction that uses fewer exhaustible materials (29%)
    • Energy efficient construction (26%)
  • Americans (General population):
    • Construction that uses fewer exhaustible materials (28%)
    • Construction using ecological materials (27%)
    • Construction able to withstand natural and climatic hazards (26%)
• 68% of stakeholders believe implementing more sustainable construction solutions is a priority vs. 55% in the general population
• 51% of stakeholders believe sustainable construction creates more value (economic, environmental, social and heritage) than traditional construction compared to 47% globally
• Top actions that need to be put in place to accelerate the development of sustainable construction:
  • Stakeholders
    • Raise awareness among all stakeholders and strengthen their collaboration (39%)
    • Make the sustainable performance of construction more visible and transparent (34%)
    • Make sustainable material, products and solutions more competitive (32%)
  • Americans (general population)
    • Make sustainable material, products and solutions more competitive (30%)
    • Make the sustainable performance of constructions more visible and transparent (29%)
    • Prioritize the use of bio-materials over conventional materials (25%) 

The full 4^th Sustainable Construction Barometer is available on saint-gobain.com. Note that a short form must be completed to access the full version.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services adapted to the residential, non-residential and infrastructure markets. Its integrated and innovative solutions provide sustainability, performance and well-being for its customers. The Group is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€46.5 billion in sales in 2025

162,000 employees, locations in 80 countries

Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 

For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit www.saint-gobain.com