Overview of the event
Climate targets for the buildings and construction sector are set at the international level, in Nationally Determined Contributions, in the Buildings Breakthrough and the commitments now taking shape ahead of COP31. Nevertheless, delivery happens on the ground. Decarbonizing the sector at scale requires inclusive planning, governance that connects every level of government, and solutions designed for each local context.
This session examines what multi-level delivery looks like in practice. It draws on the outcomes of the Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit 2026 (SBCS26), held in Lausanne, Switzerland from 20 to 22 April 2026 and co-organized by EPFL's Centre for Worldwide Sustainable Construction and UNEP as the host of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC). This webinar particularly echoes the closing session on urban planning, where national governments, city networks, and technical institutions made the case for scaling up multi-level collaboration. It also builds on the summit's parallel discussions on housing as a decarbonization and equity instrument.
Local leadership is ready to take this collaboration to the next level. A three-city panel, Kisumu County (Kenya), Mumbai (India), and Toronto (Canada), will showcase how multi-level governance is experienced and actively mobilised by local governments for inclusive planning, sustainable materials use, and innovative financing arrangements connecting local, national, and international partners and institutions. Together, these examples illustrate what it takes to scale multi-level governance for an equitable and inclusive transition in the built environment.
This session is part of a joint webinar series, convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the City Diplomacy Lab and is jointly presented with the COP31 Buildings and Cooling Webinar Series, organized by GlobalABC and the UNEP Cool Coalition to keep their membership informed of expectations ahead of COP31 (Antalya, Türkiye, 9–20 November 2026) and to support member engagement in the buildings and cooling agenda in the lead-up to the conference.
For any questions or if you are interested in participating in this session, please contact [email protected].
Agenda
3:00–3:07: Short Welcome by Moderator
Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, City Diplomacy Lab
3:07–3:12: Opening Remarks
Dr. Gulnara Roll, Head of the GlobalABC Secretariat; Head of Sectoral Transition Unit, Mitigation Branch, Climate Change Division, UNEP
3:12–3:32: City Roundtable – Round 1: Practices and Approaches
Howlan Mullally, Manager, Corporate Sustainability, Environment, Climate and Forestry Division, City of Toronto
Felix Akello, Energy Planning/Chief Heat Officer, County Government of Kisumu
Dr. Shankard Deshpande, Chief, Town & Country Planning Division, Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority
3:32–3:52: City Roundtable – Round 2: Multi-level Cooperation
Howlan Mullally, Manager, Corporate Sustainability, Environment, Climate and Forestry Division, City of Toronto
Felix Akello, Energy Planning/Chief Heat Officer, County Government of Kisumu
Dr. Shankard Deshpande, Chief, Town & Country Planning Division, Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority
3:52–4:12: Discussion and Q&A Session
Questions from the online audience
4:12–4:15: Wrap-up by Moderator
Overview of the series
The webinar series, convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the City Diplomacy Lab, explores how locally grounded climate action can be accelerated through inclusive governance, more agile and accessible financing, and partnerships that connect global objectives with municipal realities.
Explore past sessions in the peer-learning series:
Cities and the Future of Food: Circularity, Equity, and Resilience (June 29, 2026)
- Driving Change in Urban Mobility: How Digitalization Is Accelerating Low-Carbon Transport Across Ci… (February 26, 2026)
Delivering Local Climate Action: Insights from COP30 (December 1, 2025)
For more information and how to register Click here.
