At a glance

Buildings are essential to sustainability. From how we construct them, to how we live in them, they are integral to our relationships with the planet, and with each other. Buildings and construction use about 32% of the world’s energy and cause roughly 34% of global CO₂ emissions. Better design, smarter renovation, and resilient operation can really move the needle on climate change. From building upgrades, to new construction, to adapting to physical risks, and sustainable real estate in Switzerland, this hub brings UBS insights together so you can act quickly and confidently.

Not all the content included on this hub is available for both retail and institutional clients, with some intended for an institutional investor audience only. Some of the links below will ask you to identify whether you are an institutional client.

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Windmill

Infrastructure 2026 Outlook: Hard assets, soft power

How AI is lifting electricity needs and why grids, storage, and clean power are shaping building locations and operations

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pie chart

Transition leads to opportunity in global real estate

With rates steadier, low new supply, and changing needs, it may be a good window to back efficient, future‑ready buildings

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Mortgage home vacation apartament

Insights from our UBS Private Companies Showcase 

Read insights on how to build smarter cities, and how digital twins and automation can cut buildings' day-to-day waste and energy use.

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Solar panels on top of building

The climate transition runs through real estate

Most of the buildings we see today will still be standing in 2050, and yet the majority are inefficient, 75% in the European Union, for example.1 This means they require more energy than they should to heat and cool. If we are to achieve our climate goals, we need to make investments in upgrading buildings' energy efficiency of between USD 1.3 tn and USD 2.1 tn globally by 20352, while shift away from fossil fuel powered heating systems.

  • 34 %

    Percentage of global emissions accounted for by existing buildings and new construction3

  • USD 1.3 tn

    Minimum estimated annual investment in building efficiency upgrades needed globally by 2035

1European Environment Agency, (2026), Buildings and construction, 

2UN Environment Programme, (2025), Not just another brick in the wall 

3Ibid

Decarbonizing real estate

Woman looking at hills and mountains

A climate-driven investment approach

A practical playbook for running real estate strategies that cut carbon and manage risk.

This paper from UBS Asset Management describes how they help clients achieve their climate objectives, how they manage climate risks and opportunities, and their active ownership approach on climate change. It demonstrates how to turn high level climate goals into steps that portfolios can follow, covering governance, integration, and engagement in clear terms, explaining how progress is monitored, and results are shown to stakeholders.

Geothermal power plant

Not all net-zero pathways are created equal

What a credible and practical net zero pathway looks like for real estate assets.

A net zero pathway sets out an assets path towards lower operating emissions. Investors increasingly rely on these timelines to compare ambition and progress. But there are no binding, industry wide rules for how pathways are calculated or presented. As a result, investors need to look closely at what is included, how emissions are counted, how intensity is measured, and which milestones and interim targets are used. 

Ipm monthly blog

Sustainability factors and investment opportunities

How AI can help to improve energy efficiency in buildings and extend building lifespans.

As AI demand grows, buildings face higher electricity and cooling needs and growing pressure on water systems. But AI can also be part of the solution. This article maps the pinch points and highlights how AI can feed into practical fixes such as efficiency upgrades and smarter cooling.

Adapting to physical risks

Sustainable investing

Green footprints, nature related risks in real estate

How to bring nature into decisions using practical tools and checklists for biodiversity, water, and land use.

Turn nature risk into a simple, building-by-building plan. This article explains how to assess dependencies such as water and local habitats, spot impacts, and choose actions that protect value. It walks through how a preliminary risk assessment can be conducted on current and projected nature dependencies using a tools such as ENCORE, and the necessity of a collaborative approach, including stakeholders such as local government, expert ecologists, and tenants.

Twelve Apostles, Australia

Taking action in real assets

Real examples where energy use has been cut, resilience improved, and circular methods deployed.

This set of case studies looks at real investments from the UBS Asset Management portfolio, from energy storage in Texas, to fiberoptics in Germany, timber construction in Zurich, and more. It also gives insights on the biggest opportunities in the energy transition investment space as well as the biggest challenges, such as the availability of quality data around emerging energy transition technologies.

Build to last

Built to last? Measuring and mitigating physical risks

How physical risks can affect real assets and clear steps to measure exposure and improve resilience.

Read why physical risk should sit alongside transition risk in assessing risks across the full asset lifecycle, how to screen real assets for exposure, when to commission deeper analysis, and how to turn findings into action plans that protect value. The article looks at rising insurance costs and coverage gaps, and shows how design choices, site adaptations, and ongoing monitoring can reduce the risks of loss of income and damage.

Swiss real estate

Old wooden house with purple shutters

A climate-friendly renovation is worth it

This Swiss renovation calculator suggests priority renovation measures with timeline and cost estimates alongside a useful FAQ.

This free calculator estimates an energy efficiency classification for your property and shows how that could improve after renovation, alongside indicative energy demand and CO₂ emissions. It also provides an expert style overview of which building elements may need renovation, when to tackle them, and a rough cost estimate, designed to help you move from uncertainty to a workable plan.

Sustainability new

Sustainability - Real Estate Switzerland

A hub featuring content from UBS Real Estate Switzerland on how they integrate ESG and climate goals into Swiss property investing

This hub details how UBS Real Estate Switzerland’s approach combines ESG integration with climate alignment and specific qualitative and quantitative goals. It also features the guide, “Our commitment to a sustainable future”, UBS Real Estate Switzerland’s extensive annual sustainability report, which contains specific sustainability information pertaining to individual funds.

REF cover

Real estate focus 2026

A Swiss-focused real estate outlook featuring a section on sustainability and what policy could mean for prices and positioning.

This flagship CIO report looks at the latest Swiss residential, commercial, and real estate investment themes. The section on sustainability gives an interim assessment of the real estate sector’s transition to net zero. It looks at the rate of heating system replacements, finding that they have slowed significantly. It also looks at how the abolition of some of the tax deductions is reducing the financial support for renovations.

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