18 November, Baku, Azerbaijan – The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) and the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance their shared goals to accelerate the transition towards sustainable and resilient buildings and construction.
WorldGBC represents a global community of over 75 national Green Building Councils (GBCs) with over 48,000 private sector members around the world, working for a sustainable and just transition of the built environment. The GlobalABC, hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme, is a global platform for building stakeholders with over 330 members including 42 countries.
The new era of this partnership will see both organisations leveraging the unique strength of their respective networks, including advocacy, policy development and capacity-building, to deliver on shared priorities.
As the leading global organisations for buildings and climate, the partnership comes at a crucial time with the building and construction sector needing to correct its trajectory to meet the 2030 climate goals. This collaboration is a key step in delivering on the signs of political progress seen in the last 12 months – including two multi-national cooperation agreements, the Buildings Breakthrough (part of the Breakthrough Agenda) and the Declaration de Chaillot.
WorldGBC and the GlobalABC are already demonstrating the value of collaboration through their work together to deliver Priority Action B1 of the Buildings Breakthrough, which is focussed on Standards and Certification. The organisations are convening a working group of GBCs, key international organisations and countries to develop and build consensus in defining the common principles required for delivery of ‘near-zero emission and resilient buildings to be the new normal by 2030’.
In addition, in the lead up to COP30 both organisations will ensure this partnership elevates ambition for the built environment in country-level climate action plans (known as Nationally Determined Contributions – NDCs). The WorldGBC network is currently developing an ‘NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings’ that will enable countries to assess how their national plans compare against a 1.5ºC trajectory. The Scorecard is informed by the recent GlobalABC report NDCs for the Built Environment (November 2024) which outlines measures for ambitious, fundable, implementable and inclusive NDCs.
Building on these important policy initiatives, WorldGBC and the GlobalABC are coordinating efforts to roll out national roadmaps for the built environment as a tool to accelerate industry and political action towards zero carbon and resilient buildings. As part of the #BuildingLife project, WorldGBC has directly supported the publication of 12 national roadmaps in Europe and numerous GBCs outside Europe have spearheaded similar work. While the GlobalABC is also supporting regional and national roadmaps in Africa and Asia.
Cristina Gamboa, CEO, WorldGBC said: “Our global community brings together decades of experience with regional insights and strong public-private sector networks to drive local action. We represent countries covering 62% of global GDP and 60% of the world’s building stock. So we’re delighted to leverage the strength of our outreach to collaborate with the GlobalABC and deliver the action we know is urgently required by the sector to ensure a resilient and inclusive future – particularly in communities most vulnerable to climate change.”
Gulnara Roll, Head of the GlobalABC said: “Our partnership with the World Green Building Council marks a significant step forward in uniting global efforts for a sustainable and resilient built environment. By leveraging our combined networks, we can accelerate impactful action, particularly in developing countries where the need for climate-resilient infrastructure is critical. Together, we’re committed to supporting countries in setting ambitious standards and roadmaps to achieve net-zero emissions, ensuring that the building sector aligns with the 1.5ºC climate trajectory and leaves no community behind.”
The partnership was announced on 18 November at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, at a joint event hosted by GlobalABC, WorldGBC and the Cool Coalition on Nationally Determined Contributions for Sustainable, Inclusive Buildings and Cooling.
Find out more about how WorldGBC is calling on governments and industry to Be Bold on Buildings at COP29.
ENDS
Pictured above (from left): Gulnara Roll, Head of Cities Unit, United Nations Environment Programme, and Audrey Nugent, Director of Global Advocacy, WorldGBC.
Notes to Editors
Media contact:
Tess Eydmann-Peel, Marketing and Communications Manager, WorldGBC, teydmannpeel@worldgbc.org
+44 (0) 7932491571
About the World Green Building Council
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) is the largest and most influential local-regional-global action network, leading the sustainable transformation to decarbonised and resilient built environments for everyone, everywhere.
Together, with over 75 Green Building Councils and industry partners from all around the world, they are driving systemic changes to:
WorldGBC works with businesses, organisations and governments to deliver on the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs).
Find out more www.worldgbc.org
About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
About the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC)
Founded at COP21, hosted by UNEP and with 291 members, including 42 countries, the GlobalABC is the leading global platform for all built environment stakeholders committed to a common vision: A zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector.
