31 October 2024
The World Green Building Council and the global Green Building Council network have released a briefing paper ahead of the UN Climate Conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, outlining successful outcomes for negotiations from a building sector perspective.
Download the briefing paper here.
Currently the built environment is not on track to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050. Buildings account for nearly 40% of global energy related emissions and half of all extracted materials (GlobalABC, 2024).
Despite this, the sector holds immense potential for climate action, but we do not have enough policy ambition to address the urgency of climate change.
Be bold on buildings
At COP29 in Baku next month, we are calling on Parties to be bold on buildings and commit to actions in the below four areas:
- Enhance ambition with NDCs: NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) commitments fall far short of what is needed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, with current commitments on track for 2.6–3.1ºC of warming (UNEP, 2024). At present, only 3 of 195 NDCs incorporate a building code aligned to net zero operational emissions (GlobalABC, 2024). We encourage all Parties to come forward with 1.5°C aligned NDCs. This includes integrating building codes and sub-national policies within NDCs, and the development of national decarbonisation roadmaps for the built environment.
- Enable action through climate finance: Parties should support the Loss and Damage Fund with appropriate financial means to support vulnerable communities, and leverage the development and implementation of green taxonomies. We urge Parties to pledge a threefold increase in energy efficiency investments for buildings and support the reform of global financial institutions for more equitable lending.
- Strengthen resilience with adaptation planning: We call for Parties to commit to making greater efforts to integrate resilience and adaptation into existing building sector policies and programmes.
- Increase commitment to Buildings Breakthrough: We encourage an increased number of Parties to commit to the Buildings Breakthrough as a platform for collaboration between national governments and stakeholders to accelerate action and optimise the role of buildings in closing the gaps identified in the Global Stocktake.
Successful outcomes for COP29
Our latest briefing document summarises the key positions on sustainable building policies from WorldGBC and the global Green Building Council (GBC) network.
We encourage anyone involved in the negotiations, or working with negotiators, including GBCs and our partners, to use these policy recommendations and ensure that COP29 outcomes are enabling us to transition the built environment onto a 1.5°C aligned decarbonisation trajectory.
How to use the briefing paper
The briefing paper summarises the key positions on sustainable building policies from WorldGBC and the global Green Building Council (GBC) network. It has been designed to be used by GBCs and our partners as a briefing ahead of attendance at COP29, and when speaking to negotiators and policymakers.
