A critical review of published research papers on building insulation in seven selected construction journals from 2000 to 2010 is presented. Data are obtained by performing a series of searches on Scopus using relevant keywords. Findings conclude that despite climate change becoming a major issue in recent years, there is still a lack of research activities on building insulation, especially within hot and humid climatic conditions. Most of the research papers found focuses on wall insulation in cold climate. Research in this area needs to be activated and expanded since building insulation is a major component in energy-efficient buildings, in which its application is very important for mitigation of climate change. © 2012 IEEE.