News

World Green Building Day

Sign the call to action!

Building Magazine feature on international green building policy, here.

Times newspaper supplement to coincide with World Green Buidling Day, here.

Paul King column in BSD magazine, here.

See what else is going on around the world, here. 

On the 23rd September, the green building industry launched a campaign on World Green Building Day urging governments to recognise the importance of carbon savings from buildings in the Copenhagen climate change negotiations. The call came as world leaders gather in New York to discuss climate change.

In one of a series of synchronised events around the world, industry representatives joined the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) at a House of Commons reception to launch the Call to Action, which urges radical action on carbon emissions from buildings.

Paul King, Chief Executive of the UK-GBC and Chair of the World Green Building Council Policy Task Force said:

“Green Building Councils and their members around the world are speaking with one voice and calling for buildings to get the profile they deserve in the climate change talks.
There is no bigger, more cost-effective option for achieving the global cuts in carbon emissions than our buildings over the next few years.
 
“The Kyoto Treaty rightly acknowledges the role that deforestation, transport and energy generation play in contributing to climate change. However, buildings have been poor relations up to now.  Inclusion of buildings within the Copenhagen Agreement would encourage the setting of ambitious targets for carbon reductions for the building sector and create the framework within which industry is incentivised to make those dramatic cuts.”

“In the UK, Government has taken a welcome lead on setting targets for zero carbon new buildings, but we need to see a bigger effort to cut emissions from our existing stock, the vast majority of which will still be standing in 2050.”

The UK call is part of a global campaign, co-ordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme - Sustainable Building & Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI) which promotes the worldwide adoption of sustainable building practices.

Energy efficient buildings can currently qualify for carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism, but there has been very little take up under this scheme. The Call to Action proposes the development of a framework for inclusion in the post-2012 agreement that requires the monitoring, reporting and verifying of emissions reductions from buildings.

More information:

The UK Green Building Council promoted the Call to Action at a reception hosted by Emily Thornberry MP in the House of Commons on World Green Building Day (Wednesday 23 September). Speakers included David Kidney MP, Under Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and Stephen Hale, Director of Green Alliance.

More information on the Call to Action, which has been developed by the partners of the UN Environment Programme SBCI, including the Green Building Council and is available online here.

Copenhagen’s climate change framework can facilitate greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the building industry by:

1. Recognising the building industry as a top priority for achieving GHG
emissions reductions.
2. Enabling market based measures that can support investment in building projects that are energy efficient and reduce GHG emissions.
3. Building capacity and transfer technology to enable improvements in energy efficiency of buildings.
4. Supporting reform of flexible mechanisms to encourage investment in projects that improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions from new and existing buildings.
5. Encouraging UNFCCC to establish working groups to develop specific measures for the building industry prior to the next commitment period.
6. Encouraging governments to inventory and set performance goals for GHG emissions from national building stocks.

Other events took place for World Green Building Day across the globe in the following countries:

CANADA: WorldGBC Leaders Summit and Reception, Toronto, 23rd September. In conjunction with the 2009 IIDEX/NeoCon Conference and the Toronto Green Building Festival, The Leaders Summit will be the first time the WorldGBC brings together world industry leaders and policy makers to hear from experts about the enormous potential green buildings offer nations as they work to reduce their carbon emissions. Please visit the Leaders Summit website for more info.

AUSTRALIA: On Thursday, September 24, the Green Building Council of Australia will be celebrating World Green Building Day with Bob McMullan MP, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, as it launches the World GBC Asia Pacific Network. Visit GBCA's website

UNITED STATES: On September 23, 75 advocates from all over of the United States will be attending the U.S. Green Building Council’s “Congressional Advocacy Day” at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC. Summit attendees, among a range of green building policy topics, will exchange ideas on incorporating green building into long-term climate change mitigation legislation. See the USGBC press release.

NEW ZEALAND: On September 24, join New Zealand Green Building Council in The Green Room focusing on innovation and celebrating World Green Building Day.  For more information on this event, please visit the NZGBC website

GERMANY: On World Green Building Day, September 23, certified buildings open their doors to the public.  Visitors get an inside-view into built examples of sustainability. Guided tours through the buildings are offered to demonstrate the visitors how sustainable construction can be realized.  For more information on this event, please visit the GBNB website 
 
TAIWAN: On September 23 more than 300 volunteers will take part in training courses for their Green Tour program.
 
INDIA: IndiaGBC will be encouraging members and associates to "take the pledge" to build green.
 

More information on the global UNEP-SBCI campaign is available here.

Emissions savings from buildings can be recognised as a form of “Clean Development”  under the Clean Development Mechanism but to date there have been just 12 building projects applying for CDM credits (out of a total of 4500 projects).

UK-GBC is supporting calls for emission reduction in buildings to be included within “Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action”. For more information and to read the technical UNEP briefing note click here.