[VIDEO] GBC network calls for boldness at COP29

The Global Building Council (GBC) network, consisting of the World GBC and over 75 national GBC’s, are calling for world leader’s to be bold on buildings at COP29

World, industry, and thought leaders are gathering for COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11-22 November, and the GBC network have given a message for more action on buildings.

COP29 will discuss targets for climate change and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030.

The construction industry is not on track for targets

The GBC network acknowledges ahead of COP29 that the construction industry is not going to meet the 1.5C pathway, however, their message says that if both governments and industry are bold on buildings, then a decarbonised world can still be delivered.

They recommend four ways to achieve this:

Enhance ambition with nationally determined contributions (NDC)

Current NDCs fall far short of what is needed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Without increasing their ambition, we are heading for 2.6°-3.1°C of warming (UNEP, 2024). The GBC network encourages all countries to come forward with 1.5°C-aligned NDCs, including developing building codes, sub-national policies and national decarbonisation roadmaps for the built environment.

2. Enable action through climate finance

The new climate finance goal, known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), expected to be adopted at COP29, is largely informed by NDCs, in which buildings are often overlooked.

The GBC network is calling for the NCQG to take into account the mitigation and adaptation potential of our built environments and reform the financial infrastructure to disburse climate finance into the building and construction sector.

3. Strengthen resilience with adaptation planning

The GBC network calls for commitment to greater efforts to integrate resilience and adaptation measures into existing building sector policies and programmes.

4. Increase commitment to the Buildings Breakthrough

More countries are urged to commit to the Buildings Breakthrough, a multinational initiative signed at last year’s COP, which aims to strengthen international collaboration and make near-zero emission and resilient buildings the new normal by 2030.

“Use buildings to make a major impact on the world’s climate trajectory”

Cristina Gamboa, WorldGBC CEO, said: “With the built environment responsible for nearly 40% of emissions it’s crystal clear that strong sector-specific action is required. Our network is confident that if 196 Parties to the Paris Agreement are ambitious on buildings in their climate plans, the industry can deliver on this to put the world on a path to limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

“To finance that transition, it is crucial that the upcoming new climate finance goal (NCQG) properly addresses the mitigation and adaptation potential of our built environments. With global insurance losses from natural catastrophes already exceeding $100 billion annually in the past years, reforming the current finance architecture is of utmost importance to ensure sufficient and impactful climate finance is distributed where it is most needed, based on collaboration between governments, and by leveraging private sector investments.

“We have an opportunity right now to advance market-ready, viable solutions, and use buildings to make a major impact on the world’s climate trajectory.”

Stephen Richardson, senior impact director at WorldGBC, said: “Both government and industry must use COP29 as an opportunity where bold government policies and private sector leadership reinforce each other to strengthen action and demonstrate the opportunity inherent in the built environment. After everyone goes back to their home countries, the work must continue so that commitments are matched with implementation and real economy change.”

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