The built environment was the focus of attention at COP29 in Baku on Wednesday. Across the sessions, from high-level Ministerials to industry-led capacity building, there was a consistency in the messaging: The built environment presents an immense opportunity to address the climate challenge, but we must still do more.
A preview for the latest Global Status Report from the GlobalABC revealed that the sector remains off track. The built environment accounts for 34% of global carbon emissions. And we’re seeing limited progress on zero carbon codes, slowing investment in energy efficiency, and national policies that are not strong enough – keeping our goals for 2030 and 2050 out of reach.
However, there were also clear signals from all participants of the increased drive for collaboration, and an acute awareness that timing is significant as we enter the final months before each country submits their updated national climate action plan (NDC). Now is the time to leverage the opportunity to create the right policy environments to ensure that investment can flow, and deliver impact at scale.
The day served as a reminder of the action governments are taking. The opening plenary saw speakers highlight the importance and opportunity of the built environment. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, said that NDCs 3.0 need to reflect the urgency of the climate challenge, and must be backed by credible domestic policies and clearly defined national transition pathways. H.E. Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Director General of Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority, UAE, issued a reminder that discussions on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance should keep cities and subnational governments in focus, and for all stakeholders to collaborate to tap into the power of cities and regions within NDCs.
At the High-Level Roundtable on Green Construction and Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Climate Resilience in Cities, this message was reiterated by Ministers from several countries, including Stefan Wenzel, from Germany, who said that NDCs can create effective enabling environments to transform the sector. And supported by the words of the Kenyan Minister, Joel Arumonyang, that they were committed to delivering efforts in NDCs to bring policy innovations to the mainstream and ensure all stakeholders are engaged.
Stephen Richardson, Senior Impact Director for WorldGBC, noted:
“There was a clear thread that this third round of NDCs needs to put buildings at the forefront. Urban climate finance is also a critical issue, and we need reformed finance mechanisms to scale investment. WorldGBC’s forthcoming NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings will come at a crucial time to support governments and the sector to keep all this in focus and not lose momentum.”
The ICBC (Intergovernmental Council on Buildings and Climate) was officially formalised during the High-Level Roundtable, with Ministers and high-level representatives from Azerbaijan, Brazil, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
The ICBC will facilitate the implementation of the Declaration de Chaillot by enabling international cooperation and enhancing policy action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement. It also has a mandate to review progress, both in terms of decarbonising and adapting the building sector to climate change. The ICBC’s initial leadership sees France as Chair, and Kenya and Brazil as Vice-Chairs, and it is co-ordinated by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC).
The day also saw the launch of the COP29 Multisectoral Actions Pathway (MAP) Declaration for Resilient and Healthy Cities, further highlighting the action governments are taking. The Declaration seeks to enhance multisectoral cooperation to address climate challenges in cities, create coherence in urban climate efforts and catalyse urban climate finance.
Now one year on from its launch at COP28, WorldGBC also joined a panel on Buildings Breakthrough Milestones. Last week the Priority Actions for the Buildings Breakthrough were released. On the panel, Audrey Nugent, WorldGBC’s Global Advocacy and Campaigns Director, gave an update on our role leading on Priority Action 1, focusing on Standards and Certification.
On the road to COP30 in Belem, WorldGBC will work with the GlobalABC and other partners to set out the definitions and principles for near zero emission and resilient buildings. As part of this work, we will be engaging with the global network of Green Building Councils, key international organisations and countries to facilitate cross-border collaboration and build consensus to help ensure transparency, comparability and accountability.
Audrey Nugent reported that:
“Work is underway to deliver on the Priority Actions identified by each of the Buildings Breakthrough workstreams, with action progressing across the working groups. It’s clear that all the Priority Action leads are motivated and eager to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement and are ready to help drive collaboration in the build up to COP30. The establishment of the ICBC will be crucial to making that happen.”
With the discussions focussed on climate finance and NDCs, we’re continuing our call for governments and industry to #BeBoldOnBuildings. As we enter the final few days of the Conference, we want to remind negotiators to recognise the role of the built environment as a key solution to tackle the climate challenge, and enhance ambition and enable action on buildings for a resilience and inclusive future.
Find out more: #BeBoldOnBuildings
