This event had concluded: The first ICBC Ministerial Meeting was successfully held on 11 November 2025 at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Ministers launched the Belém Call for Action for Sustainable and Affordable Housing and endorsed additional ICBC deliverables.
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Event description
The Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC)—co-chaired by Brazil, France and Kenya, with its secretariat provided by the GlobalABC, hosted by UNEP—will hold its first Ministerial Meeting to catalyse global cooperation on climate action in the buildings sector.
Established by the Chaillot Declaration and officially launched at COP29 in Baku, the ICBC brings together governments to collaborate on accelerating decarbonization and resilience in the building sector, aligning national actions with international climate goals.
This Ministerial will be a crucial moment to demonstrate progress in achieving climate goals for the buildings sector—taking stock of activities under the Chaillot Declaration and providing visibility to the national and international commitments advanced by ICBC members. Ministers will be invited to endorse the Belém Call for Action for Sustainable and Affordable Housing, and to endorse or acknowledge other deliverables developed with members in response to the priorities of the Declaration de Chaillot. These outcomes will help shape the strategic direction of the ICBC for 2026–2027 and beyond.
The outcomes of the ICBC Ministerial will be presented later the same day at the Closing Plenary of the COP30 Ministerial on Urbanization and Climate Change, bringing visibility to the Council’s work at the heart of the COP30 Action Agenda, and contributing directly to the implementation of the Global Stocktake.
Together, these outcomes will showcase the collective leadership of the ICBC, reinforce global momentum on sustainable buildings, and reaffirm the commitment of member countries to tackling the interconnected challenges of climate change, housing, and development.
Space is limited – priority will be given to speakers, invited attendees and media representatives.
Organizers and partners
- Ministry of Cities of Brazil
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC)
Agenda
| Item | Presenters | Timing |
1. Opening Remarks | Hon. Jader Barbalho Filho, Minister of Cities, Brazil Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP | 15 mins |
2. Belem Call for Action for Sustainable and Affordable Housing led by Troika 3.1. Formal Endorsement of the Belém Call for Action and Country Statements
| Hon. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), Germany Ms. Rachel Kyte, Special Representative for Climate, United Kingdom Rachel Kyte, Special Representative for Climate, United Kingdom 3’ H.E. Lt. Gen. Bashiir Mohamed Jama, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Somalia Mr. Benoît Faraco, Ambassador in charge of climate change negotiations, carbon-free energy, and climate risk prevention, France Mr. Augusto Henrique Alves Rabelo, National Secretary for Housing at the Ministry of Cities, Brazil Mr. Henry Gonzalez, Chief Investment Officer, Green Climate Fund Ms. Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director General for Energy, European Commission | 30 mins |
3. Ministerial interventions and Declaration of support for ICBC products and deliverables | Hon. Ville Tavio, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Finland Hon. Dr. Abdullah Ali Al Amri, President of Environment Authority, President UNEA7 & Head of Delegation COP30, Sultanate of Oman Hon. Alice Wahome, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development, Kenya Hon. Mosese Bulitavu, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Fiji H.E. Dr. Hallo Al-Askary, Minister of Environment, Iraq H.E. Eng. Taofeq Al-Sharjabi, Minister of Water and Environment, Yemen Mr. Shancheng Wang, Director General of Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China Mr Kennedy Matheka, Deputy Director- Buildings Safety and Climate Resilience & Vice-Chair of the ICBC, the Ministry of Lands, Public Works & Urban Development, Kenya
Participant ministers (not intervening): Ms. Laura Remmelgas, Director General, Climate Department, Ministry of Environment & Deputy Head of the Delegation, Estonia
| 40 mins |
4. Financing Sustainable Buildings and Housing | Mr. Nicolas Picchiottino, Secretary General of IDFC and Head of Public Development Banks, AFD - International Development Finance Club Ms. Veronica Jones, Global Head Sustainable Finance Standards & Capacity, IFC | 8 mins |
5. Closing Remarks (followed by group photoshoot) | Ambassador Antônio da Costa e Silva, Chief International Adviser, Ministry of Cities, Brazil | 3 mins |
- Post Event Resources
For complete coverage of the first ICBC Ministerial Meeting, including photos, video recording, outcomes, and all downloadable resources, visit our comprehensive news article: ICBC hosts first Ministerial at COP30, placing people at centre of climate action for the building sector
- About the Declaration de Chaillot
In March 2024, the first ever Buildings and Climate Global Forum, organized by the French government and UNEP, brought together 1,400 participants from 70 countries in Paris, culminating in the Declaration de Chaillot, a landmark agreement aiming to accelerate the transition of the building and construction sector toward decarbonization and climate resilience. Signatories commit to developing national roadmaps, updating building and energy codes, mobilizing finance and incentives, promoting low‑carbon materials, strengthening skills, adopting standards and certifications, coordinating multi‑level governance, and using international forums like COPs to embed these priorities. To oversee progress, the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC), coordinated by GlobalABC was established, which was officially institutionalized at COP29 in November 2024 at Baku, Azerbaijan.
- More on the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate
The role of ICBC is to bring together governments to align national building policies with global climate goals, review progress, issue guidance, and promote cooperation and knowledge sharing across countries. The leadership of the ICBC is organized as a “troika,” with France as Chair and Brazil and Kenya as Vice‑Chairs, reflecting its international and inclusive governance structure.
As of today, several technical and informational meetings have been held to establish its priorities and work on the mandate, with the first ICBC Ministerial meeting scheduled for COP30.
While this Ministerial Meeting is convened for ICBC Members and Observers, we are also pleased to extend the invitation to all UNEP Member States. This will allow the broader UNEP membership to follow the progress achieved through ICBC’s work this year and to engage with its growing community.
Member States wishing to learn more about the ICBC, its activities, or modalities for joining as Members or Observers may consult further information here.
This event has concluded. For complete coverage of the first ICBC Ministerial Meeting, including photos, video recording, outcomes, and all downloadable resources, visit our comprehensive news article: ICBC hosts first Ministerial at COP30, placing people at centre of climate action for the building sector
