Buildings surround us. Yet, when planning the future, they seem to be easy to overlook.
The majority of countries still lack sustainable building codes. Some don’t even mention the building and construction sector in their climate plans (NDCs). While many more have committed only to superficial change.
Without strong, policy-backed action on this highly emitting part of the economy, building the transition to a 1.5°C-aligned world will simply be impossible.
That’s why, as we enter the 2025 update cycle for NDCs, the World Green Building Council and Green Building Council network are asking nations to level up their commitments, actions and policies.
And turn buildings from a part of the problem… into the solutions they must urgently become.
We’re calling on governments and industry to be bold on buildings.
NDCs, or Nationally Determined Contributors, are national climate action plans for countries. Countries are currently in the process of creating their updated climate action plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts as part of the Paris Agreement (known as NDCs or Nationally Determined Contributions).
Yes, NDCs are important. A country’s NDC outlines its strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enabling the collective global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5ºC and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Despite the fact that 161 of 195 countries reference buildings as part of their NDCs, only 19 provide extensive sector-specific detail, and only three NDCs incorporate a building code aligned to net zero operational emissions (GlobalABC, 2024).
No, we are not on track to meet the 1.5°C goal. Current NDC commitments fall far short of what is needed, with current commitments on track for 2.6-3.1ºC of warming (UNEP, 2024). And they are not fully recognising the role that buildings can, and must, play in limiting warming and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
However, if governments and industry are bold on buildings then we can deliver a decarbonised and resilient world.
Currently, the built environment is not on track to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050. The sector holds immense potential for climate action, but we need greater policy ambition to address the urgency of climate change.
At COP29, we are calling on Parties to be bold on buildings and commit to actions in the below four areas:
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 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.
