Events

Events That Bring the Buildings Community Together

The GlobalABC convenes governments, industry leaders, financial institutions, civil society, and technical experts to accelerate the transformation of the buildings and construction sector. From high-level ministerial roundtables to technical working sessions, our events advance our shared mission of achieving a zero-emission, efficient, and resilient built environment by 2050. Highlights include the COP30 Buildings and Cooling Pavilion (40+ events, 235+ speakers), the first ICBC Ministerial Meeting at COP30, the Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit 2026 in Lausanne (460+ attendees), and sessions at World Urban Forum and Regional Climate Weeks.

View the GlobalABC Events Calender here.

 

Upcoming Events

Major Convenings

  • đź“… GlobalABC Annual Assembly 2026 | Q2-3 2026 | Online

    • Members only event. More information to come soon.

  • đź“… GlobalABC at COP31 | 9-20 November | Antalya, TĂĽrkiye

    • More information to come soon.

More in the GlobalABC Events Calender here.

 

Past GlobalABC Flagship Events

SBCS26

Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit 2026 

Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit 2026 | 20-22 April 2026 | SwissTech Convention Center, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland

Co-organized by EPFL and UNEP as the host of the GlobalABC, the Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit 2026 brought together academia, government, and industry towards a sustainable built environment.

Learn more about the event here.

Banner COP30 Buildings Cooling Pavilion

COPs & Buildings Pavilions

Since 2021, the GlobalABC has hosted the Buildings Pavilion annually at COP, providing a platform for the buildings and construction community to convene, exchange knowledge and showcase climate solutions. 

We are actively preparing for COP31 from 9-20 November 2026 in Antalya, TĂĽrkiye. where we will continue our tradition of convening the buildings and construction community through pavilion programming and high-level sessions that extend beyond the pavilion space. Details on our COP31 presence will be announced in the coming months.

COP30 High-Level Convenings and Sessions

11 Nov, First Ministerial Meeting of the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC): Co-chaired by France, Kenya, and Brazil, the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC) will hold its firstMinisterial Meeting to catalyse global cooperation on climate action in the buildings sector. This high-level gathering will launch the BelĂ©m Call for Action for Sustainable and Affordable Housing and acknowledge key ICBC deliverables developed through extensive consultations with member countries. The GlobalABC serves as the ICBC Secretariat, hosted by UNEP. Learn more about the session here

14 Nov, Driving Climate Action in Buildings: Activating Roadmaps and Scaling Climate Solutions: Sector roadmaps are a critical tool providing strategic frameworks for action on decarbonisation and resilience, this session will showcase the transformative impact they are having on the built environment sector, contributing towards the goals of the COP30 Action Agenda. This session is co-organised by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and Global Alliance for Buildings & Construction (GlobalABC). 

15 Nov, 15:30-16:30 | Driving Systemic Change for Near-Zero Emission and Resilient Buildings (Buildings Breakthrough): Launched at COP28, the Buildings Breakthrough aims to make "near-zero emission and resilient buildings the new normal by 2030." This session will convene governments and partners to advance concrete actions across priority areas including standards and certification, demand creation, finance, and capacity building.  

18 Nov, 11:00-12:00 | Building for Forests & People: Delivering Resilient and Responsible Buildings Solutions: This event brings together SW4SW, FCLP, Built by Nature, GlobalABC, OID, ICC, ROOH, and SPARC to showcase how responsible timber construction and community-led buildings solutions can deliver resilient, affordable, and forest-positive outcomes for people and planet. content.

COP30 Buildings and Cooling Pavilion

GlobalABC and the Cool Coalition hosted a 100-square-metre Buildings and Cooling Pavilion as part of the "Buildings, Infrastructure, Cities and Water" shared networking area, supported by the COP presidency. The pavilion is a dedicated space for dialogue, innovation and collaboration throughout COP30. Explore the full programme and learn more about the pavilion. The Pavilion featured livestreamed sessions, a meeting room, and networking spaces for in-person and online participation. The pavilion is powered by Trane Technologies; Daikin Industries, Ltd,; Delta Electronics; Arup; Autodesk; Sidara; The American Institute of Architects (AIA); Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN); L'Union sociale pour l'habitat; Saint-Gobain.

By the Numbers:

  • 10 sponsors + 9 partners
  • 41 events over two weeks
  • 250+ speakers
  • 70,000+ impressions on LinkedIn

The 41 events covered resilient, efficient and zero-emission built environments, spanning tools and finance to passive cooling, data, value chains, and innovation from prototypes to policy.

Networking receptions were hosted by GlobalABC with Saint-Gobain support, Saint-Gobain, and Arup.

Discover the COP30 Buildings and Cooling Pavilion's programme, event recordings and photos here.

 COP29 Buildings and Cooling Pavilion

At COP29 this year, the GlobalABC is collaborating with the UNEP Cool Coalition to host a joint Buildings and Cooling Pavilion. This Pavilion aims to bring together the entire built environment value chain and the cooling community, creating a unified voice to drive building decarbonisation and resilience, while addressing the challenges of extreme heat and sustainable cooling.

 

Buildings and Cooling Pavilion

 

From 14 to 21 November, over 30 sessions and pitches will take place in the Pavilion, in line with the daily themes interconnected with the COP29 Presidency and Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA) agendas. All the events will be livestreamed. 

This year, our tagline is "Building a Cooler Future". The Pavilion's daily themes and their related events are as follows. All event times are in Azerbaijan Time (UTC +4). 

  • 14 Nov | Building A Cooler Future Through Climate Finance
  • 15 Nov | Building a Cooler Future: Cooling Ministerial Day
  • 16 Nov | Building a Cooler Future Through Sustainable Innovation
  • 18 Nov | Building a Cooler Future by Upskilling the Community
  • 19 Nov | Building a Cooler Future: Cold Chains & Circularity in Buildings
  • 20 Nov | Building a Cooler Future: Built Environment Ministerial Day
  • 21 Nov | Building a Cooler Future Through Nature-Based Solutions

Check out the COP29 Buildings and Cooling Pavilion's programme and event recordings here.

 

COP28 Buildings Pavilion

In 2023, GlobalABC once again collaborated with the We Mean Business Coalition to host the Business + Buildings Pavilion at COP28. 11 entities provided sponsorship to GlobalABC for Buildings part of the pavilion which was hosted in collaboration with the BuildingToCOP Coalition, the Government of France, the International Code Council (ICC), the Programme for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB) and the MPGCA. 

From 2 to 10 December, a total of 15 events advocating for a zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector were organised in the pavilion, covering a wide range of topics, from finance to roadmaps, health, circularity, just transition and inclusivity, nature, etc. This year, our tagline is "Building our future". Each day of the pavilion’s Buildings programme featured a buildings topic linked to the COP28 presidency and MPGCA thematic days: 

  • 2-3 December | Building a healthy future
  • 4 December | Building the future by financing green
  • 5 December | Building a circular future
  • 6 December | Building our future together
  • 8 December | Building an empowered future for all
  • 9 December | Building a nature-positive future
  • 10 December | Building a resilient future

The Buildings Pavilion served as a hub for various stakeholders within the buildings and construction community. Here, they united to showcase concrete solutions, initiatives and examples of action to accelerate the transformation of the buildings and construction sector. In attendance were representatives from diverse backgrounds, including civil society, CEOs, business leaders, NGOs, international organisations, cities, and national governments from across the globe. As in the two previous years, the presence of a Buildings Pavilion at COP28 underscored the buildings and construction sector’s pivotal role in shaping a zero-emission and resilient future, emphasising existing solutions that act as catalysts for this transformation.

Check out the COP28 Buildings Pavilion's programme and event recordings here.

30 November #COP28 #BuildingsPavilion
Take a look at our COP28 Buildings Pavilion photos

COP27 Buildings Pavilion

While at COP26 the Buildings Pavilion was part of a shared space with We Mean Business, this year, and for the first time ever, the GlobalABC/UNEP hosted its own #BuildingsPavilion – co-hosted by We Mean Business Coalition and World Business Council for Sustainable Development, sponsored by 16 entities and in collaboration with the BuildingToCOP Coalition, UNFCCC Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA), Global Buildings Performance Network, and the Government of France. From 8 to 17 November, over 50 events were hosted at the Buildings Pavilion, covering a wide range of topics – from finance to resilience, building materials, energy, justice and social equity, to name but a few.

The tagline of the COP27 Buildings Pavilion was “Build4Tomorrow” (#Build4Tomorrow). Each day of the Buildings Pavilion programme featured a buildings topic linked to the COP27 presidency and MPGCA themes:

  • Build4Tomorrow means aligning the transition with UNFCCC’s Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA) - Human Settlements Pathway.
  • Build4Tomorrow means accelerating deep collaboration towards achieving a 2030 Buildings Breakthrough target.
  • Build4Tomorrow means ensuring a just transition and enhancing building resilience.
  • Build4Tomorrow means turning Africa’s housing challenges into building opportunities of sustainability and resilience.
  • Build4Tomorrow means means decarbonising the building sector along its lifecycle by 2050.
  • Build4Tomorrow means greater ambition and bolder policies for building decarbonisation.
  • Build4Tomorrow means adopting a whole life cycle perspective, tackling materials as well.
  • Build4Tomorrow means building with improved energy efficiency.
  • Build4Tomorrow means all stakeholders work together towards a zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector.
  • Build4Tomorrow means forging pathways through building decarbonization and resilience roadmaps.

The Buildings Pavilion was a hub for all stakeholders in the buildings and construction community to come together and highlight concrete solutions, initiatives and examples of action to accelerate the transformation of the buildings and construction sector.

The Buildings Pavilion welcomed representatives from civil society, CEOs and business leaders, NGOs, international organisations, cities and national governments from all around the world to demonstrate why it is important to make the transition to a net-zero, resilient and efficient built environment for everyone and everywhere, but also how we can do it.

Check out the COP28 Buildings Pavilion's programme and event recordings here.

7 November #COP27 #BuildingsPavilion
Take a look at our COP27 Buildings Pavilion photos
COP26 Buildings Pavilion

The GlobalABC played a leading role in shaping buildings’ presence at COP26 with the #BuildingsPavilion and the Cities, Regions, and Built Environment Day at COP26. In a shared space with the Business pavilion, the GlobalABC hosted over 30 events in the #BuildingsPavilion Including daily live coffee talks with architects, city leaders, researchers, and civil society leaders; sponsored events with over 10 CEO’s from the buildings and construction sector; and multiple events with and through our members, including cities and countries from around the globe, featuring mayors, ministers, and research and civil society leaders.

The pavilion centred on the #BuildingToCOP26 coalition’s joint success framework and the MPGCA goals to halve buildings’ emissions by 2030 and to decarbonise buildings along their lifecycle by 2050. Each day featured a buildings topic linked to the COP26 theme of the day.

Check out the COP26 Buildings Pavilion's Daily Digests here.

#BuildingsPavilion at COP26
Take a look at our COP26 Buildings Pavilion photos

 

GlobalABC 2025 assembly

Annual Assembly

The GlobalABC Annual Assembly is the primary governing body of the Alliance. It defines strategic vision, monitors progress, approves Work Plans, elects the Steering Committee and co-chairs, adopts statements, and approves framework modifications on a consensus basis.

Past Editions of the GlobalABC Annual Assembly

 

Other Signature Events

GlobalABC organises, participates in and hosts events throughout the year at major international platforms.

Buildings and Climate Global Forum | March 2024, Paris

The Buildings and Climate Global Forum was co-organised by Government of France and UNEP, with the support of the GlobalABC, the took place on 7-8 March 2024 in Paris, France. The two-day Buildings and Climate Global Forum was a unique opportunity for senior government officials and those in the buildings sector, along with other stakeholders, to discuss building decarbonisation and resilience.  

Over 800 participants attended the Forum with sessions including CEO and ministerial roundtables, plenary meetings, solution exhibitions and pitches will provide participants with the opportunity to network and exchange ideas. Governments were invited to endorse a framework for global efforts to achieve decarbonisation and climate change resilience in the buildings sector.  

Learn more about the Buildings and Climate Global Forum here.

Explore the Ministerial Declaraition (Declaration de Chaillot) here.

World Urban Forum
More landmark events

 

Get Involved

Interested in partnering with GlobalABC on future events or sponsoring our convenings? Contact us to explore collaboration opportunities.