Managing carbon emissions in construction: Current status and emerging trends

Climate change, generally accepted to have been brought about by human-generated carbon emissions, represents an existential threat to the environment. Therefore, as a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, the construction sector plays a critical role in combatting climate change. Although numerous studies have focused on the management of carbon emissions within the construction sector, a comprehensive overview of it has not been undertaken. This study therefore fills that knowledge gap by providing a comprehensive review of the current status and emerging trends in the management of carbon emissions generated by the construction sector. It does so by employing VOSviewer to analyze publications from leading peer-reviewed journals, focusing on co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, and national activity analyses. The community's current status is revealed as needing increased global collaborations, while emerging trends indicate a shift towards more integrated and technology-driven approaches. Key future directions include integrating the Internet of Things with smart monitoring systems, implementing real-time carbon monitoring platforms for decision-making, and enhancing stakeholder awareness and behavior. These findings contribute significantly to the existing body of knowledge and provide a valuable resource for guiding future research and informing practices within the construction sector.