Loading...
Integrating circular economy principles into energy-efficient retrofitting of post-1950 UK housing stock: A pathway to sustainable decarbonisation
Ebohon, Obas John Zhou, Juanlan
Ebohon, Obas John
Zhou, Juanlan
Editors
Other contributors
Epub Date
Issue Date
2026-01-07
Submitted date
Alternative
Abstract
The UK’s net-zero by 2050 commitment necessitates urgent housing sector decarbonisation, as residential buildings contribute approximately 17% of national emissions. Post-1950 construction prioritised speed over efficiency, creating energy-deficient housing stock that challenges climate objectives. Current retrofit policies focus primarily on technological solutions—insulation and heating upgrades—while neglecting broader sustainability considerations. This research advocates systematically integrating Circular Economy (CE) principles into residential retrofit practices. CE approaches emphasise material circularity, waste minimisation, adaptive design, and a lifecycle assessment, delivering superior environmental and economic outcomes compared to conventional methods. The investigation employs mixed-methods research combining a systematic literature analysis, policy review, stakeholder engagement, and a retrofit implementation evaluation across diverse UK contexts. Key barriers identified include regulatory constraints, workforce capability gaps, and supply chain fragmentation, alongside critical transition enablers. An evidence-based decision-making framework emerges from this analysis, aligning retrofit interventions with CE principles. This framework guides policymakers, industry professionals, and researchers in the development of strategies that simultaneously improve energy-efficiency, maximise material reuse, reduce embodied emissions, and enhance environmental and economic sustainability. The findings advance a holistic, systems-oriented approach, positioning housing as a pivotal catalyst in the UK’s transition toward a circular, low-carbon built environment, moving beyond isolated technological fixes toward a comprehensive sustainability transformation.
Citation
Gyoh, L., Ebohon, O. J., Zhou, J., & Ogan, D. D. (2026). Integrating Circular Economy Principles into Energy-Efficient Retrofitting of Post-1950 UK Housing Stock: A Pathway to Sustainable Decarbonisation. Buildings, 16(2), 262. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16020262
Publisher
Journal
Research Unit
PubMed ID
PubMed Central ID
Embedded videos
Additional Links
Type
Journal article
Language
en
Description
© 2026 The Authors. Published by MDPI. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence.
The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16020262
Series/Report no.
ISSN
2075-5309
EISSN
2075-5309
ISBN
ISMN
Gov't Doc #
Sponsors
This research received no external funding.