Mapping Building-Level Monthly CO2 Emissions of Different Functions: A Case Study of England

Understanding carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from buildings is critical for shaping effective policies toward sustainable urban development. Previous studies mainly applied bottom-up methods for small areas or top-down downscaling at national, provincial or grid scales. However, limited research has explored the relationship between building functions and CO2 emissions at a larger scale. To bridge this gap, this study employed ridge regression to disaggregate monthly CO2 emissions to the level of different functional buildings across England in 2022 and investigated the relationship between building functions and CO2 emissions. Results show that commercial buildings rank highest in CO2 intensity, reaching 1.49 kg per volume in February, while residential buildings rank lowest, reaching 0.25 kg per volume in July at the national scale, and industrial buildings have the largest total emissions. In addition, regional disparities in economic development and industrial structure contribute to emission differences among buildings of the same function. Temporally, all functional buildings exhibited lower emissions during summer compared to winter. Overall, this study offers a scalable and interpretable framework for understanding urban carbon emissions at high spatial and functional granularity. The findings may offer valuable insights to support government decision-making in urban planning and spatial policy design, thereby contributing to low-carbon development goals.