The energy demand of developing countries increases every year. Large amounts of energy are consumed during the production and transportation of construction materials. Conservation of energy became important in the perspective of limiting carbon emissions into the environment and for decreasing the cost of materials. This article is concentrated on some issues affecting the embodied energy of construction materials mainly in the residential sector. Energy consumption in three various wall structures has been made. The comparison demonstrated that the embodied energy of traditional wall structures is 3-times higher than the energy efficient building materials. CO₂ emissions produced by conventional materials and green building materials are 54.96 Kg CO₂/m² and 35.33 Kg CO₂/m², respectively. Finally, the results revealed substantial difference in embodied energy and carbon footprints of materials for which its production involves a high amount of energy consumption.

In Pakistan and most other developing nations, the residential building sector is one of the highest energy-consuming domains. The residential sector has the highest share of 50% of final electricity use of the country. Though Energy Conservation Building Codes (ECBC-2023) provide structured energy guidelines, no work has been performed to quantify the actual energy-saving potential of code-compliant retrofits in residential buildings. This study investigates the performance of ECBC-compliant retrofitting strategies for residential buildings under Pakistan’s diverse climatic conditions. The Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), a validated simulation tool, was used to assess energy performance improvements through building envelope interventions such as thermal insulation, solar shading, window glazing, and optimal orientation. Field data were collected from three representative cities, Multan (hot desert), Taxila (humid subtropical), and Quetta (cold semi-arid), to simulate both conventional and energy-efficient building scenarios. The results showed substantial seasonal energy savings in all three climates. During the heating period, energy savings were 48%, 50%, and 60% for Taxila, Multan, and Quetta, respectively. Similarly, energy savings during the cooling season were 44%, 33%, and 16%. Life cycle economic analysis revealed that these retrofits yielded Net Present Values (NPVs) of USD 752 (Taxila), USD 1226 (Multan), and USD 1670 (Quetta) over a 30-year period, with discounted payback periods ranging from 6 to 10 years. Furthermore, a life cycle assessment demonstrated that retrofitted buildings yielded up to 26% reduction in overall carbon emissions, combining both embodied and operational sources. The findings highlight that ECBC-2023 is not only a technically viable solution for energy savings but also financially attractive in residential retrofitting. By incorporating localized climate responsiveness into ECBC-compliant building design, the study provides a practical roadmap for achieving Pakistan’s energy efficiency goals. Additionally, the outcomes serve as a basis for informing policy initiatives, supporting building code adaptation, and raising public awareness of sustainable housing practices.

Energy forecasting and policy development needs a detailed evaluation of energy assets and long-term demand estimation. The demand forecast of electricity is an essential portion of energy management, particularly in the formation of electricity. It is necessary to predict electricity needs to avoid the energy deficits or a destabilization between energy demand and supply. In this article, long-range energy alternative planning (LEAP) is used for the modeling of energy and various sectors in Pakistan as a case study. The simulated model comprises three different scenarios, a strong economy, a weak economy, and a medium economy as a reference scenario. The base year is 2015 and the outlook year is 2040. Electricity demands are almost more than four times those of the outlook year, increasing from 7.71 million tons of oil equivalent (MTOE) in 2015 to 29.77 MTOE by the end of 2040.

This study conducts a comprehensive investigation into prospective policy alternatives within Pakistan’s power sector using the PAK-TIMES model, targeting the critical challenges of energy scarcity and environmental degradation. Focused on the period from 2022 to 2050, the research evaluates the impact of various policies on energy consumption, supplies, carbon emissions, and expenditures in alignment with Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) directed at combatting climate change. The study explores three distinct scenarios: a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, along with five policy (5% Eff, 10% Eff, 15% REN, 30% REN, 50% REN) scenarios categorized into energy efficiency and renewable integration. The first scenario concentrates on the deployment of energy-efficient devices, while the second scenario delves into diverse levels of renewable energy integration. Key results reveal that energy demand is projected to surge substantially under the BAU scenario, increasing significantly from 3459 PJ in 2022 to 7912 PJ by 2050. In contrast, scenarios prioritizing energy efficiency can potentially curb the total energy supply by 2.3%, while renewable energy integration can expand up to 1.3% compared to business-as-usual by 2050. These alternative scenarios also exhibit the potential to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the power sector by up to 15%. Notably, the PAK-TIMES model emerges as a valuable decision support tool for the Pakistani government to facilitate the execution of energy efficiency and renewable energy policies aimed at fulfilling its NDCs, while also contributing to the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 (affordable and clean energy) and 13 (climate action). The study underscores the pivotal role of policy interventions in simultaneously mitigating energy challenges and combatting climate change for sustainable development.