Trial / Demo
At the midway point of COP29, it is my hope that the world leaders, climate advocates, and industry experts gathered in Baku are making progress in negotiating a path back to the 1.5°C target set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. In a critical year, where global temperatures are projected to breach this threshold for the first time across a full calendar year, discussions take on an even greater urgency. Yet, amidst these essential talks, it’s both deeply concerning and frustrating that the built environment—a sector responsible for almost 40% of global emissions—once again appears underrepresented in official COP29 agendas.
Nine years after the revolutionary Paris Agreement, which united nearly 200 countries in a promise (albeit non-binding) to limit warming to 1.5°C, COP29 represents a truly defining moment. This year’s projected temperature increase of 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels should serve as a resounding alarm bell. While the Paris Agreement is measured as an average across twenty years, breaching this limit across a full calendar year underscores the inadequacy of the progress made. A more legally binding approach could encourage the bolder action required to get the world back on track. This is a moment for world leaders to set transformative, enforceable targets that empower industries, including the built environment, to take action now.
The Built Environment: A Key Sector for Climate Action
As the next two days at COP29 highlights themes like Energy, Peace, Relief, Recovery, and Science and Digitalisation, the links to the built environment are clearly identifiable. Energy consumption is the largest contributor to global emissions, and much of it is tied directly to our buildings. From domestic homes to energy hungry city skyscrapers, the way in which we design, construct, and operate our buildings is pivotal to meeting zero carbon targets.
However, recent political events have the potential to further impede our already slow progress. The re-election of Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his climate scepticism and plans to roll back green policy progress made by his predecessors, raises serious questions for what the next few years will hold. The move to withdraw the USA, the second highest emitter of carbon, from the Paris Agreement in his first term, along with prioritising traditional energy sectors, such as oil and gas, had lasting impacts on climate policy. These actions delayed advancements in sustainable building and green technology investments. His intention to pull out of the Paris agreement again, as well as terminate the Inflation Reduction Act, which promoted extensive green building programmes, will no doubt have drastic consequences for the sector. Analysis conducted by Carbon Brief found that Trump’s election could lead to an additional 4bn tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) of US emissions by 2030, compared to continuing Joe Biden’s plans.
In the UK, it was also disappointing to see a lack of green investment in building infrastructure included in the government’s latest budget. This represents a missed opportunity not only for emissions reduction but also for economic growth. Decarbonising the built environment could increase job opportunities, reduce energy costs, and promote sustainable technological innovation. Investing in green building initiatives is an economic imperative, not just an environmental one. Overlooking green building technology and practices risks falling behind in the global push toward sustainable development.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the Built Environment
A key talking point of COP29 will of course be the renewed Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which nations must submit to the UN in 2025. NDCs are a key policy framework to drive climate change action and investment, and must be submitted every five years, to outline how nations intend to take action to prevent global temperature rise. As the 2025 deadline looms, policymakers face a crucial moment to shape the commitments that will set the course for tackling climate change and building resilience in the years ahead. It is crucial that the built environment is fully embedded and represented within these NDCs, given the huge impact our sector has.
Indeed, this is the message that many of our peers across the built environment sector are championing at this year’s COP. The Partnership for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB) and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) have released a practical guide, NDCs for the Built Environment, to help equip policymakers, planners, and practitioners with a comprehensive framework to integrate ambitious climate actions within the buildings and construction sectors of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The guide emphasises that incremental gains are no longer enough to tackle the climate crisis. I would strongly urge policy leaders to take heed of this guidance, to ensure that buildings are given full consideration, when it comes to defining their NDCs.
Bolder Targets, Tangible Actions: What We Need from COP29
With global climate targets unmet and confidence waning in the ability of leaders to take the necessary steps, COP29 represents a pivotal moment. The world needs decisive commitments from governments to decarbonise the built environment—a sector with the potential to drive significant emissions reductions. We know what needs to be done; we know how to design, build, and operate our buildings more sustainably and we have the tools and knowledge necessary to make a meaningful difference. Now, governments, businesses, and society must prioritise the role of the built environment as a critical element of climate action.
By accelerating climate action in the built environment, we not only protect our ecosystems but also foster a sustainable economy and protect communities from climate-related suffering. COP29 must serve as a catalyst for bold commitments and tangible actions that transform how we approach buildings.
Today’s policymakers, business leaders, and citizens must embrace an ethos that places the health of our planet and the well-being of future generations above our own short-term gains. By turning a blind eye, it only shifts an even greater problem onto future generations. With every delay in action, it becomes more challenging and costly to secure a sustainable and climate resilient future.
In the pursuit of a zero carbon future, the role of the built environment cannot be overstated. We stand on the edge of either enduring unmitigated environmental disaster or seizing this moment to move towards a more balanced relationship with our planet, ensuring a healthier and more sustainable future for all. COP29 could be a major turning point—if collectively we are willing to make it so.
