Pathways to a net zero building sector in Colombia: Insights from a circular economy perspective

• Residential buildings accounted for 19 % of the total final energy consumed and 5 % of the total GHG in 2020. • Circular economy strategies can reduce the 2020–2050 cumulative emissions of the sector by 49 %. • The RECC model is used to study the material and GHG potentials of the circular economy at the country-regional level. • Combining wood materials with forest sequestration can make the sector carbon neutral by 2034. • A comprehensive and systematic environmental assessment of wood production is needed to draw better conclusions. The rapid urbanization and economic growth in Colombia have made the residential sector one of the largest energy and material consumers in the country. Circular economy (CE) strategies are a promising alternative to decouple the sector from resource depletion and climate change. The analysis shown here is based on the RECC model framework, a dynamic material flow analysis (dMFA) model. Our results suggest that by 2050 without CE strategies, residential building stock will reach 2.5 billion m 2 and emit between 13 and 25 Mt CO 2 /yr, depending on whether carbon forest sequestration is included or not. A complete implementation of CE strategies and lower floor space can reduce 2020–2050 cumulative primary material production, waste generation, and GHG emissions by 48, 5, and 49 %, respectively. There is a potential to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 if, in addition to the measures mentioned above, more wood materials and forest sequestration are considered.