Paving the way to carbon neutrality: Evaluating the decarbonization of residential building electrification worldwide

• Global residential electrification rose from 29.9% in 2000 to 40.1% in 2021. • Global residential electricity emissions rose from 1452 to 2032 MtCO 2 in 2000–2021. • Electrification does not always lead to decarbonization in residential buildings. • Residential electrification achieved decarbonization of 188 MtCO 2 per yr worldwide. • Power decarbonization is key to reducing emissions through electrification. In the context of increasing global climate change, decarbonizing the residential building sector is crucial for sustainable development. This study aims to analyze the role of various influencing factors in carbon intensity changes using the decomposing structural decomposition (DSD) to assess and compare the potential and effectiveness of electrifying end-use activities during the operational phase of residential buildings worldwide for decarbonization. The results show that (1) while the electrification rate varied in its impact on emissions across different countries and regions, the overall increase in electrification contributed to higher carbon intensity. In contrast, changes in the emission factor of electricity generally made a positive contribution to emission reduction globally. (2) The global electrification level has significantly increased, with the electrification rate rising from 29.9% in 2000 to 40.1% in 2021. A 39.8% increase in the electricity-related carbon emissions of global residential buildings was observed, increasing from 1452 MtCO 2 to 2032 MtCO 2 , 2000–2021. (3) From 2000 to 2021, electrification of space heating was the main contributor to carbon reduction, whereas the contributions of electrification to cooling and lighting were relatively limited. Emission reductions from appliances and others remained stable. The electrification of water heating and cooking had varying effects on emission reductions in different countries. Furthermore, this study proposes a series of electrification decarbonization strategies. Overall, this study analyzes and contrasts decarbonization efforts from building electrification at the global and regional levels, explores the key motivations behind these efforts to aid national net-zero emission targets and accelerate the transition of the global residential building sector toward a carbon-neutral future. The decarbonization impacts of electrification of residential buildings worldwide: (a) the research framework; (b) the impacts of residential building electrification on carbon intensity; (c) the spatiotemporal evolution of the decarbonization effect of residential building electrification. Note: Considering the data availability, lighting was excluded in Northeast Asia.