We have a vital opportunity to reshape our future. By 2030, we must cut global emissions by 42% — and buildings hold one of the biggest keys to success.
Responsible for over a third of global emissions, buildings are too often overlooked in climate and resilience strategies. Yet they represent enormous potential: healthier homes, thriving cities, and resilient economies.
At COP30, governments have a critical opportunity to act boldly on buildings — failure to do so will mean all nations face escalating costs to their finances and more importantly, lives and livelihoods.
The good news is scalable solutions already exist.
Sustainable buildings can cut emissions, shield communities from climate shocks, and create healthier, more affordable homes and workplaces. They unlock finance and investment in resilient infrastructure, and provide jobs and growth in every region in the world.
Leading businesses are already showing that sustainable buildings are possible. Now governments must act to embed these practices across the entire sector, ensuring progress at scale to meet global climate goals.
At COP30, we’re calling on governments to be bold on buildings — for people, for the planet, for 2030 – for our future.
Leading industry is already in the era of implementation.
As shown through our World Green Building Week 2025 campaign, across the globe, businesses are investing, innovating, and implementing green building solutions. Through the COP30 Business Action Statement, they have demonstrated they want clear, coordinated action from governments to scale these solutions.
Now, as governments have submitted their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (climate action plans), policymakers need to drive action and mobilise finance to scale equitable, transformative building solutions.
This is about protecting people’s lives, lowering bills, creating jobs, and building a fairer, safer, healthier world.
At COP30 in Belém, governments must seize the opportunity to close the ambition and implementation gap, and deliver on the outcomes of the Global Stocktake.
The WorldGBC Americas Regional Network of 17 Green Building Councils (GBCs) from North, Central and South America have launched a manifesto which outlines the key policy priorities for the region, structured around eight pillars: carbon and energy, adaption and resilience, biodiversity and nature, circular economy, water, health and wellbeing, equity and access, and finance.
Work with your local Green Building Council and use the NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings to strengthen climate plans with effective policies and building codes.
Partner with Green Building Councils to co-develop national decarbonisation and resilience roadmaps.
Our Zero Carbon and Climate Resilience Readiness Framework, which includes a section on Government Readiness, as a first-step guide to creating a roadmap.
Join a unified call from the built environment sector for governments to mobilise clear, coordinated climate action at COP30.
WorldGBC has been invited by the COP30 Presidency to participate in two Activation Groups, working with the Presidency to embed building sector leadership into national and global delivery pathways.
The COP30 Action Agenda contains a framework of six thematic axes and 30 key objectives, with one Activation Group for each of the 30 objectives. WorldGBC is co-leading: Activation Group 1: Tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency; and Activation Group 12: Sustainable and resilient construction and buildings.
The Buildings Breakthrough Agenda is a global initiative, endorsed by 29 countries and the European Commission, aiming to make Near-Zero Emission and Resilient Buildings (NZERBs) standard by 2030. It focuses on decarbonising buildings, enhancing climate resilience, and fostering collaboration across governments, industry, and civil society.
WorldGBC leads Priority Action 1 — Standards and Certifications — guiding countries to agree on definitions, principles, indicators, and guidelines for NZERBs to ensure transparency, comparability, and accountability.