The Future of Construction Will Be Determined by Finance

Saint-Gobain's 2026 Sustainable Construction Barometer shows that the climate crisis has fundamentally transformed the construction sector. According to the research, sustainable construction is no longer merely an environmental preference; it now sits at the center of economic value creation, resilience, and risk management. While 70% of Turkish sector stakeholders view sustainable construction as a priority issue, the transformation process is expected to be driven principally by financial institutions.

In an era of increasingly frequent extreme weather events, sustainable construction carries strategic importance beyond environmental performance, playing a key role in risk management, regional resilience, and the protection of economic and asset value.

Awareness Growing in Turkey
According to research findings, 45% of Turkish sector stakeholders report full understanding of the sustainable construction concept, while this figure stands at 26% among citizens. Nevertheless, 70% of stakeholders and 75% of citizens consider sustainable construction a priority issue.

The 2026 Sustainable Construction Barometer prepared by the Saint-Gobain Sustainable Construction Observatory also highlights a significant gap in the sector. While financial institutions acknowledge the importance of resilience and adaptation in the built environment, the integration of these criteria into investment, financing, and insurance decisions remains limited. The fundamental reason is identified as the failure to present the economic benefits of sustainability investments in sufficiently concrete and measurable terms.

In Turkey, 44% of stakeholders believe that sustainable construction creates economic value. This figure, tracking near the global average, points to strong expectations regarding the sector's transformation potential.

Resilience Is No Longer an Invisible Criterion
The Sustainable Construction Barometer includes, for the first time, an international qualitative research program covering commercial banks, development banks, and insurance companies, with a focus on climate adaptation and resilience.

Conducted with 4,800 sector stakeholders and 30,000 citizens across 30 countries, the research shows that climate resilience is gaining increasing importance among both sector professionals and financial actors. The priority assigned to this topic among stakeholders has risen to 26%, representing a 5-percentage-point increase from the previous year.

In Turkey, the most frequently cited definition of sustainable construction is "construction using ecological materials." 47% of sector stakeholders and 41% of citizens hold this view. Citizens also emphasize the importance of structures resistant to natural disasters and climate risks.

The Main Obstacle: Inability to Measure Return on Investment
All stakeholders consulted under the barometer agree on one point: the return on adaptation and resilience investments needs to be demonstrated more clearly.

While CO₂ emission reductions can be measured with standard indicators, resilience investments are based on longer-term, indirect, and probabilistic benefits. These benefits include the reduction of potential future losses, preservation of business continuity, and maintenance of asset value.

For this reason, high short-term costs take center stage while long-term gains have yet to be adequately integrated into financial and insurance models.

The priorities identified for widespread adoption of sustainable construction in Turkey support this picture. 35% of stakeholders view increased awareness and collaboration as priority steps, while 33% emphasize the importance of regulations that encourage energy renovations. Citizens prioritize making sustainable materials and solutions more accessible and competitive.

Financial Institutions at the Center of Transformation
According to the research, banks and insurance companies play a strategic role in scaling sustainable construction. More systematic integration of adaptation and resilience criteria into financial institutions' decision-making processes is viewed as critical for accelerating large-scale transformation in the sector.

The research also identifies three key elements that stand out in building support among those with more skeptical views on sustainable construction:

-Making the tangible benefits of sustainable solutions more visible
-Guaranteeing actual performance from the user perspective
-Demonstrating with objective data that implementations are economically competitive

Turkey's results clearly show which actors are trusted in the transformation process. 48% of stakeholders state that architects and engineers play the most important role in developing sustainable construction, while local governments rank second at 38%.

Financing Models Expected to Accelerate Transformation
According to the barometer, for sustainable construction to become widespread, financing mechanisms must be restructured to support the transformation. Developing more applicable standards, more accurately modeling the financial impact of physical risks, and promoting sustainability-focused financing instruments are of critical importance.

Similarly, more systematic integration of resilience criteria into project and portfolio evaluation processes is identified as an important step that will help sustainable construction find stronger support within the financial system.

About Saint-Gobain
Founded in 1665, Saint-Gobain is among the world's leading companies in sustainable and lightweight construction solutions. The company develops materials and services for construction and industrial markets, working on the renovation of public and private buildings, low-carbon production, and sustainable building solutions.

In 2025, marking the group's 360th year, it continues its operations with the vision "Making the World a Better Home."

-2025 sales revenue: EUR 46.5 billion
-Operating in 80 countries
-162,000 employees
-Net Zero Carbon target by 2050