Ahead of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima this weekend, Green Building Councils (GBCs) representing over 10,000 organisations in G7 countries send a reminder of their call to tackle the climate impact of buildings, citing their potential in accelerating the transition to a decarbonised, sustainable and resilient society. 

At the Hiroshima Summit, G7 Heads of State representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA will discuss a range of topics of global relevance. With climate and energy cited as one of the issues to be addressed, we remind G7 leaders that the buildings and construction industry provides a pivotal pathway towards a resilient and sustainable transition.

As the letter issued by the ‘G7 GBCs’ in April 2023 ahead of the Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment stated, G7 governments must recognise the built environment as a key solutions provider that can deliver on many cross-cutting priorities such as carbon, biodiversity, resilience and energy security.

At the Ministers’ Meeting in Sapporo, the G7 Climate Ministers committed to accelerating the phaseout of unabated fossil fuels to achieve net zero in energy systems by 2050, whilst also acknowledging the potential of buildings to close the gap to 1.5°C. 

With the built environment representing the largest contributing sector to carbon emissions, and amid the growing need for the global economy to reduce emissions drastically, it is vital that G7 leaders build on this commitment and support ambitious measures to decarbonise buildings.

Recognising the need for clarity on these policies, last month WorldGBC and our network of GBCs launched our Global Policy Principles for a Sustainable Built Environment, which provides a framework to guide policymakers on implementing ambitious measures to decarbonise buildings.

Cristina Gamboa, CEO, WorldGBC, said:

“WorldGBC was encouraged by the G7 Ministers’ agreement formed in Sapporo, April 2023, which demonstrated recognition of the building sector’s potential as a key solutions provider in the climate agenda. WorldGBC and the G7 GBCs once again call on Heads of State at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima to commit to policies which will ensure the uptake of sustainable and decarbonised built environments for everyone, everywhere.”