Ministerial event ‘A call for a Buildings Breakthrough as Rallying Point’

Ministerial event ‘A call for a Buildings Breakthrough as Rallying Point’  

Date and time: Thursday, 17 November, 09:00-11:00 AM local time.

Organization: UNEP-hosted Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) together with French Ministry for Ecological Transition (MTE)

Location: Buildings Pavilion, lot 113, Area C (delegations, olive green in the COP27 floor plan; Blue Zone)

Background

At COP26, the Glasgow Breakthrough agenda was launched with considerable success and attention, aiming at strengthening international collaboration on the decarbonisation of high-emitting sectors (Transport, Power, Hydrogen, Steel, Agriculture). The Breakthrough agenda rallied 45 countries and ca. 70 per cent of global GDP. Despite being a heavyweight for climate action (around 37 per cent of CO2 emissions and over 34 per cent of global final energy demand come from buildings and construction) A Buildings Breakthrough however was not part of this agenda.

At the Bonn Climate Change Conference in June 2022, France through the French Climate Change Ambassador Mr Stephane Crouzat announced that France will co-lead a new Buildings Breakthrough Target through the Ministry of Ecological Transition in France and in collaboration with the Ministry of National Territory and Urban Planning, Housing, and City Policy of the Kingdom of Morocco and alongside other willing governments. France and Morocco through senior level representatives reaffirmed this at the 13th Clean Energy Ministerial and 7th Mission Innovation (CEM13/MI7) ministerial and the 2022 UN General Assembly (the latter via the French Secretary of State for Ecology).

Agenda

Moderated by communications specialist Mariana Castano Cano (10 Billion Solutions).

PART I

• Opening: Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (5 mins, TBC).
• Keynote by Nigel Topping, UK High Level Climate Champion Nigel Topping (10 mins, confirmed)
• Ministerial statements by co-leading countries (ca. 3 mins per country)
  • HE Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Energy Transition, OR HE Christophe Bechu, Minister for Ecological Transition OR HE Bérangère Couillard, State Secretary at the Ministry for Ecological Transition (TBC).
  • HE Fatima-Zahra Mansouri (Ministry for National Territory Planning, Land Planning, Housing and City Policy, Kingdom of Morocco) (TBC). 

PART II

• Opening of Part II: Graham Stuart MP, Minister of State, Minister for Climate (UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (TBC).
• Fireside chat with expressions of support by participating countries and initiatives (TBC depending on participating countries)
  • Roland Hunziker, Director, Built Environment & Member of the WBCSD Extended Leadership Group
  • Countries who joined
• Close by communications specialist Mariana Castano Cano (10 Billion Solutions) (10 mins).

About the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction

The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) was founded at COP21 in 2015 with 79 founding members and is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). With 256 members, including 37 national governments, the GlobalABC is the leading global platform for governments, private sector, civil society, research, and intergovernmental organizations committed to a common vision: A zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector.

The GlobalABC has three strategic aims:

• Be a global advocate and a catalyst to action: GlobalABC advocates for market transformation and focuses on catalysing action by defining a carbon neutrality strategy for the built environment.
• Be a trusted platform to set targets and track progress: GlobalABC tracks progress in its annual Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction (Buildings-GSR), and its Building Climate Tracker, a new index to track progress in decarbonization in the sector.
• Support countries in setting priorities and measures based on their situation: GlobalABC forges building decarbonization and resilience pathways through its global and regional roadmaps. These are being cascaded with and through countries and local authorities in more than 30 countries, territories, and regions.