COP29: Built environment researchers call for better alignment of policy with science

As world leaders gather in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the United Nations climate change conference COP29, more than 100 scholars and researchers worldwide have issued a collective call to action: New approaches that seek to better align science and policy must be developed if the building sector is to achieve legally-binding net zero requirements by 2030.

Projected global construction needs are significant. UN-Habitat estimates (2023) indicate that by 2030, 3 billion people will need access to safe and sustainable housing. The built environment sector (including related upstream and downstream processes) already accounts for around 40% of energy and process related GHG emissions, making it a vital focus for action.

At the current pace, emissions reduction efforts of governments, industries and societies continue to fall short of what is needed to ensure the Earth’s systems remain within safe operating boundaries, say researchers.

Scientists from across the globe are calling for experts to show their willingness to tackle these challenges by endorsing a call for more effective collaboration between researchers and policymakers.

“The role of public policy, governance and administration is increasingly complex in an era where the dual goals of climate protection and adaptation –– especially in the built environment ––  are in focus. Science needs to inform this crucial role by making research accessible and offering clear recommendations for action. Scientists must uphold their responsibility to both society and the environment by actively collaborating and contributing solutions to these urgent challenges,” says Professor Thomas Lützkendorf, former head of Chair for Sustainable Management of Housing and Real Estate at the Department of Economic and Business Engineering at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

The initiative, launched by Aalto University Finland, the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE), and the IEA EBC Annex 89, is endorsed by the UN Environment Programme UNEP as well as the The Nordic Council of Ministers. Among the research institutions involved are the University of Melbourne, Australia, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.

“Scientists and researchers around the world express their deep concern about the inadequate pace of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the built environment. There is an urgent need to establish legally binding requirements to achieve a net zero GHG emission level in the operation of buildings by 2030, and in the entire lifecycle of buildings by 2035 across the world,” says Professor Matti Kuittinen from Aalto University. “We must co-operate not only with policymakers, but also with all actors from business and society, through the utilisation of latest scientific evidence.”

“Creating a safe and just society is a shared responsibility, especially as we confront irreversible climate change. Around the world, frontline decision-makers who plan, deliver and manage the built environment face unique local conditions and socio-economic challenges. Scientists play a vital role in supporting these leaders by developing practical, locally-tailored solutions and fostering meaningful, two-way collaboration between the Global North and South. Only together can we develop effective policies and actions to address the climate challenge,” says Professor Greg Foliente, Enterprise Professor of Sustainable and Resilient Built Environment and Urban Systems at the University of Melbourne. 

Call to action – We invite researchers and scientists to sign this commitment and policymakers and industry stakeholders to endorse it https://sbe-series.org/climate-action/. Also, anyone who believes in the power of science to drive impactful change for our climate can sign the call as a supporter.

Read more about the initiative and the recent, peer-reviewed research behind it, in the Buildings & Cities journal: https://www.buildingsandcities.org/insights/commentaries/researchers-climate-policy-gaps.html

Take part in the upcoming event at COP29

Date: Friday, 15 November 2024 at 11:00–12:30

Title: Researchers’ Collaborative Call-to-Action on Breakthrough Decarbonization Policies of Buildings – Declaration and Panel Discussion

Location: Online https://pub.norden.org/cop29/index.html#lnk7c4a1b7d-2912-4e09-aac8-a8db67ecc086

and at the Nordic Pavilion, C13 Blue Zone, UN Climate Change Conference Baku, COP 29

More information:

Matti Kuittinen, Professor of Sustainable Construction

Aalto University Finland

[email protected]

Tel. +358 50 594 7990