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The Building The Transition campaign is calling on the global building and construction sector to accelerate the transition to secure an energy efficient, regenerative and just future for all – it has been created by the World Green Building Council.
Now in its 15th year, the week-long event will show how through systems change thinking, and leveraging local solutions, we can transition to sustainable built environments – which is a topic high on the political agenda.
Crinstina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council, said: “The time for change is now. We have had a final reminder from this year’s Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that we must take urgent action if we are to prevent our being evicted by an uninhabitable planet. Yet while we may be running out of time, by no means are we running out of solutions. Those solutions are being pioneered around the world right now by our global network, as we advocate together for #BuildingTheTransition.
“From September 11–15, our network is unified in leveraging localised solutions from across the built environment to accelerate a global transition to a decarbonised, sustainable and resilient society. The built environment is the largest contributing sector to global energy-related carbon emissions – and therefore it is key to leveraging solutions to secure a sustainable future for all.”
Throughout World Green Building Week, WorldGBC’s network will host events across the world and share examples of #BuildingTheTransition across three themes: the energy transition, regenerative transition and just transition.
“To succeed, these solutions must be scaled up, and that’s why political and industry ambition is crucial. With COP28 in Dubai, UAE, and the world’s first Global Stocktake taking place this year, we are reminded always that 1.5C is a limit, not a target. That’s why, during this World Green Building Week, our #WGBW23 and #BuildingTheTransition campaign is inviting our global community, and leaders around the world, to take urgent action to accelerate the UN Sustainable Development Goals and transition to energy efficient, regenerative and just built environments for everyone, everywhere,” said Gamboa.
Three themes have been chosen to highlight how the built environment can support the Paris Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals:
The Energy Transition; investing in clean technologies and driving economies of scale and its deep retrofitting existing buildings to be exceptionally energy efficient.
The Regenerative Transition; humans and the built environment must exist together within a cycle of natural systems. That means not just protecting biodiversity but prioritising its restoration, embracing nature-based solutions, and creating a thriving circular economy across the entire building value chain.
The Just Transition; Advancing a just transition in the built environment means committed solidarity to protect human rights from financial flows, to supply chains, to geopolitics.
