26 April 2023

By Audrey Nugent, WorldGBC Director of Global Advocacy

In April 2023, World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and our global network of Green Building Councils (GBCs) launched the Global Policy Principles for a Sustainable Built Environment. In this thought leadership series, we will delve into the seven key Principles, how they align with our vision for a sustainable future, and how GBCs are supporting their national governments and networks to implement them. In this first instalment, Audrey Nugent, WorldGBC’s Director of Global Advocacy, introduces the Principles.

What are the Global Policy Principles for a Sustainable Built Environment?

The “Global Policy Principles for a Sustainable Built Environment” have been developed by WorldGBC and our global network of 75+ GBCs to support policymakers as they develop and update building policies that drive the transformative change needed for a sustainable built environment.

Why did we create these Principles? 

The world is dangerously off track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Correcting this trajectory requires a complete global reform of current buildings policies. And that’s where the Global Policy Principles come in. 

Just last month the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a synthesis report, calling it a ‘final reminder’ for the global community to urgently mobilise and scale solutions. Our network knows that these solutions exist and is well placed to deliver them, but further government action is needed to accelerate implementation at scale. In fact, current government policies will see warming exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century and make it harder to limit warming below 2°C.

Responsible for 37% of global emissions, the built environment is the largest contributing sector to carbon emissions, yet it is still not on track to achieve total decarbonisation by 2050, and the gap between actual climate performance of the sector and its pathway to decarbonisation is widening.

At COP28, the Global Stock Take (GST) will be concluded, a two-year process that assesses collective progress towards the Paris Agreement goals. The GST will highlight areas of progress and identify key gaps before countries submit updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in 2024. 

These NDCs are essentially action plans that signatories to the Paris Agreement put forward to outline how they will meet their climate commitments. However, analysis of current NDCs and building codes shows that there is still much scope to leverage the role of buildings within the climate agenda through policy tools. 

Therefore, we have produced these Principles to provide policymakers with an effective tool and framework which can be utilised as they seek to update national building policies and NDCs.

How did we develop the Principles?

These Principles were steered by a committed group representing all 75+ Green Building Councils. A dedicated steering committee and working group representing Established GBCs from all regions moved the Principles through several rounds of consultations with a wide network of stakeholders. 

The Principles were then finalised in April 2023 with an online launch which can be found on WorldGBC’s YouTube channel .

What are the seven Principles?

The Principles are structured around seven interconnected topics, where action in one area reinforces action in another. They are:

• Carbon: Prioritise renovation of existing buildings and eliminate both operational and embodied carbon emissions across the lifecycle of all buildings.
• Resilience: Enhance the ability of homes and communities to respond to external shocks and stressors by integrating climate resilience and promoting adaptation.
• Circularity: Drive waste out of the construction value chain and minimise the use of primary materials by optimising use of resources and materials.
• Water: Conserve and protect water resources and guarantee equitable access to potable water and sanitation
• Biodiversity: Regenerate natural systems and restore biodiversity loss by avoiding development on land with high biodiversity, and by prioritising nature-based solutions that enhance, expand, and protect the natural environment. 
• Health: Develop healthy, equitable and resilient buildings and cities that deliver improvement in occupant, community and public health and wellbeing throughout the building and construction lifecycle.
• Equity and access: Support equal access to safe, healthy, sustainable homes and communities for all citizens.

Each Principle is accompanied by a suite of policy levers spanning regulation, information and incentives that governments can adopt to ensure alignment. 

What next?

WorldGBC is now focused on working with our network of GBCs to support the delivery of these Global Policy Principles. By adopting these Principles, governments will be sending a clear signal to the market that decarbonised built environments are a priority, therefore enabling industry to deliver more innovative solutions. 

WorldGBC and its GBC network invite governments to use these “Global Policy Principles for a Sustainable Built Environment” as a tool to review and update existing legislation and their NDCs which will be updated in 2024.

 

Stay tuned for our next thought leadership in this series which will focus on Carbon, exploring different policy interventions happening globally to address carbon emissions from buildings.