Real estate is a major asset class accounting for two-thirds of global real assets and is at risk from both physical and transition risks. At the same time the built environment has a significant impact on our planet accounting for 37% of energy related emissions, generating approximately 100 billion tonnes of construction, renovation and demolition waste every year, and being responsible for a significant share of extracted materials and global water consumption.Tackling and drastically reducing both the risks to built assets and their impact on our planet requires large-scale transformation, backed by the upscaling of investments and funding options.
GBCs have been at the forefront of sustainable finance for many years, using tools such as green building certifications which many GBCs operate. These have become a de-facto gold standard for many sustainable investments.
WorldGBC has leveraged this pioneering work, shaped and defined green mortgage standards, influenced the recommendations of the first Technical Expert Group (TEG) on climate mitigation criteria for the EU Taxonomy, and subsequently steered the definition of technical screening criteria for the building sector in the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance.
Our recognised expertise in sustainable finance comes from decades of experience in both defining the environmental performance standards for buildings and infrastructure, as well as through GBC certification schemes and our network’s role as a catalyst for political and industry action to champion sustainable buildings through advocacy, training and awareness raising.