Today (Nov 14) at the UN Climate Summit COP30, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) announced an expansion of its Building the Transition programme to accelerate national decarbonisation and climate resilience roadmaps across Africa and Asia-Pacific. These regions are critical for advancing decarbonisation, circularity and resilience in the built environment for global climate action.
The roadmaps initiative will build on WorldGBC's collaboration with the UNEP-hosted Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC). It has been selected by the COP Presidency and the High-Level Climate Champions (HLCC) as one of the COP30 Plans to Accelerate Solutions (PAS) - a pillar of the COP Presidency's focus on implementation under the COP30 Action Agenda underscoring the power of this initiative to deliver real and impactful change.
This initiative will enable national coalitions of Green Building Councils (GBCs) and key stakeholders across industry, finance and civil society to work with governments, cities and UN country teams to co-develop or support implementation of national roadmaps to drive decarbonisation and resilience in the built environment. Roadmaps are already delivering real-world climate progress in homes and neighbourhoods worldwide, along with the health and economic benefits of sustainable, resilient buildings.
Delivering on the COP30 Action Agenda
The Brazil COP Summit (10-21 November 2025) marks a shift from negotiation to the era of implementation and will be defined by the proof of progress.
Governments, cities, businesses, and non-profit organisations have come together under the COP30 Action Agenda a framework focused on delivering the outcomes of the Paris Agreement's Global Stocktake (GST). The Action Agenda covers six pillars to scale proven solutions for mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology and capacity-building.
WorldGBC shares the COP30 Presidency's confidence in roadmaps as a key implementation tool, helping translate global ambition into national action. In support of the COP30 Action Agenda, WorldGBC and UNEP-hosted GlobalABC are advancing the PAS Decarbonisation and Resilience Roadmaps' (under Activation Group 12: Sustainable and Resilient Buildings) to empower national coalitions and GBCs to co-create catalytic strategies that accelerate transformation in every region.
These roadmaps will also support the PAS titled Building Efficiency, Electrification and Renewable Integration' under Activation Group 1: Renewables and Doubling Energy Efficiency, which WorldGBC is co-leading alongside the International Energy Agency (IEA) and C40 Cities.
Collectively this work is supported by multiple organisations committed to delivery and collaboration: Build Change, Green Building Councils, Habitat for Humanity International, and the World Resources Institute, amongst others.
WorldGBC is also a participating partner in the Near-Zero Emission and Resilient Buildings (NZERBs)' PAS on the Buildings Breakthrough, hosted by GlobalABC. WorldGBC recently published guidance, in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, to enable countries to share a common vision and advance on establishing standards, definitions, and indicators for Near-Zero Emission and Resilient Buildings ensuring global transparency, comparability, and accountability.
The 60 countries that adopted the Declaration de Chaillot have also committed to developing and implementing national roadmaps for decarbonised and climate-resilient buildings, supported by clear actions, timelines, and enabling policies.
Why roadmaps
The buildings sector, responsible for around 34% of global CO emissions, is central to achieving climate goals and unlocking economic and social co-benefits. In this era of implementation where success is measured not in words but in collaboration and action national decarbonisation roadmaps present a proven mechanism for impact. They provide a clear, co-created pathway for how countries and cities can align policy, finance, and industry action to achieve total decarbonisation and resilience in the built environment.
About the roadmaps initiative
WorldGBC and the global network of GBCs have been pioneering national roadmaps since 2016. GlobalABC and its members have also advanced progress since the launch of the Global and Regional Roadmaps for Africa, Asia and Latin America in 2020 and supported numerous national and sub-national roadmaps in the Global South. UNEP as the host of GlobalABC is also convening a global Roadmaps Coordination Group.
This expansion of WorldGBC's Building the Transition global programme builds on the roadmaps already delivering impact under the #BuildingLife project, and benefits from GlobalABC's Climate Action Roadmaps for Buildings and Construction toolkit.
Each roadmap will be:
- Government endorsed a document aligned with national objectives, plans and strategies (NDCs, NAPs, NDPs, etc.)
- A multi-stakeholder action plan a document that sets out the short, medium and long-term actions for all key stakeholder groups that are considered necessary to achieve a decarbonised, circular and resilient built environment.
- SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, ensuring they can be actioned and progress tracked.
- Co-created by engaging a large, diverse group that includes government, industry, finance and civil society.
- Science-based ambition and timeline are aligned to global, national and sectoral carbon budgets.
- Based on a common methodology this methodology was developed building on the lessons learnt and experience of GlobalABC members and provides a comprehensive approach and suite of resources to guide the roadmap development process.
A launchpad for lasting change
COP30 is not the finish line it is the launchpad for sustained, multi-level action. Together with our network, WorldGBC will continue to scale national and sub-national roadmap work across regions, helping governments, cities and industry to align policy, finance, and technology toward a zero-carbon and resilient built environment.
Cristina Gamboa, CEO, WorldGBC:
"WorldGBC's Building the Transition initiative defines our global strategy putting roadmaps at the heart of how we turn ambition into action. We've already seen this approach succeed through 12 national roadmaps developed and implemented in Europe under our BuildingLife project, and in multiple other countries. Now we're scaling that impact globally. By aligning, partnering, and scaling we're uniting governments, industry, and finance actors with Green Building Councils worldwide to accelerate climate action across the built environment, and deliver real, lasting results."
Media contact:
Tessa Eydmann-Peel, Marketing and Communications Manager, WorldGBC, teydmannpeel@worldgbc.org
