RAZOR: The surprising materials that could decarbonize construction

As the global population continues to rise, the pressure to house billions of people sustainably is intensifying. Even though growth is projected to stabilize and eventually decline over the next 60 years, the short-term need is staggering.

The United Nations estimates that we'll need to build 96,000 affordable homes every day just to keep up with demand by 2030. But with new construction comes a major climate dilemma: the building industry is one of the world's biggest sources of carbon emissions and waste.

RAZOR's Gabrielle Lawrence heads to Technical University of Munich in Germany where they've developed a literally green alternative to traditionally energy intensive carbon fiber. The researchers have created a bio-based composite using algae and plant fibers, which mimics the strength and flexibility of carbon fiber – without the high carbon cost of fossil-fuel-derived resins and extreme heat processing.

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But the innovation doesn't stop there. Lawrence heads to Scotland to meet the team behind the K-Briq, a low-carbon brick made from over 90 percent recycled construction waste. Unlike traditional bricks, it doesn't need to be fired at high temperatures – it's compressed and cured using a fraction of the energy, and ready in just 24 hours.

The bricks are made possible through a partnership with Brewster Bros, a recycling firm near Edinburgh that processes rubble and soil, reusing nearly 99 percent of incoming material. Even leftover clay and silt are used to restore the site into future green space.

As cities expand, RAZOR explores how innovations like this – alongside lab breakthroughs in Germany – could help decarbonize one of the world's most polluting industries, and reshape how we build in a warming world.