A sustainable built environment reduces or eliminates negative impacts and creates positive impacts for the natural environment, economies, human health and equity.
Through their entire lifecycle — design, construction, operation and end of life — sustainable or ‘green’ buildings and infrastructure can address three key impact areas of the built environment: climate action, health & wellbeing, and resources & circularity.
Any building can be a sustainable building, but not all sustainable buildings are the same.
Different countries and regions have distinctive climatic conditions, unique cultures and traditions, diverse building types and ages, or wide-ranging environmental, economic and social priorities. This diversity shapes the variety of approaches to sustainable building.
This is why WorldGBC advocates for a holistic, systemic approach and supports its member Green Building Councils to pursue approaches that are best suited to their own country and markets.
By 2050, the global population will increase 27% to 9.8 billion, and the world’s building stock will double, catapulting all of the environmental, social and economic impacts associated with the built environment.
Not only are sustainable built environments a critical solution to climate change, they also help create resilient, thriving communities, and drive economic growth.
Collectively, the World Green Building Council network is transforming the building and construction sector across three impact areas — climate action, health & wellbeing, and resources & circularity. Find out more about our Impact Areas.
Advancing Net Zero is WorldGBC’s global climate action programme, accelerating the uptake of Net Zero Carbon Buildings to 100% by 2050.
Better Places For People is WorldGBC’s global programme transforming health and wellbeing in the built environment.
Circularity Accelerator is WorldGBC’s global programme to drive the adoption of circular economy and resource efficiency in the building and construction sector.