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Through its membership to the GlobalABC, Switzerland aims to share its longstanding experience in energy-efficient buildings and construction. Affordable solutions are particularly important for low and lower-middle income countries where most of the future construction is going to happen. By uniting the voices and actions of all actors along the value chain, the GlobalABC brings the enormous greenhouse gas mitigation potential of the buildings and construction sector to global attention.

The Global ABC is a unique platform of stakeholders coordinating to implement the goals of the Paris Agreement through the built environment. Bringing together leading world governments alongside private sector champions, the third sector and research; it provides an important role model to nations on how to coordinate the great resources we have to implement ambitious policies towards net zero carbon buildings.

Achieving a zero-net carbon future is within our reach if we succeed in proving the business case to builders, banks and buyers in emerging markets, where construction growth is greatest. Certification will be essential to reward builders, qualify projects for financing, and place the proof in the owners’ hands. The GlobalABC will play a critical role in galvanizing others to action.

Climate action starts at home, and is scaled up through partnerships, and particularly through enhanced cooperation among national and subnational levels of government. The GlobalABC can support ICLEI's efforts to scale up successful local and subnational action, and to achieve climate neutrality in municipal infrastructure and operations by mid-century—as set out in the ICLEI Montréal Commitment. This means implementing ambitious energy efficiency actions and optimizing the use of renewable energy in the built environment.

As a unique platform dedicated to the buildings and construction sector, GlobalABC provides a strong signal to the global community to put our built environment at the heart of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The private sector is key to decarbonize the building sector, and business needs a common language to align efforts and set science-based targets that reduce the whole life-cycle carbon emissions of buildings. The GlobalABC offers the vision and convening power for all stakeholders to work together.

Buildings are our most valuable infrastructure and can act as a platform for clean technologies and climate solutions,” said California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister. “To propel the state even further down the road to a low emissions future California is focused on decarbonization of new and existing buildings. We work with entities, like GlobalABC, to contribute to this vital conversation, gather lessons learned across the world and apply them here in California.
 

There is enormous potential for bettering the climate and the well-being of the world's population through urban efficiency. Modernization of the building stock must be a priority for countries and cities. The technology that helps us meet the Paris Agreement's 2 °C pathway is available today - or in the pipeline. Being part of the GlobalABC network supports our aim to work with cities on this journey.

When it comes to the cheapest climate solutions with the greatest human benefit, greening our buildings isn’t just low-hanging fruit. It’s fruit rotting on the ground.

Why is the buildings and construction sector important for climate action?

As 40% of all the energy we use is used for heating and cooling buildings, they are one of the major contributors to CO2 emissions and have a potential to save up to 50% energy before 2050. Parallel to this, the modernization of the building stock creates a better and healthier environment for people who live and work in the buildings while creating up to 700,000 local jobs in the construction sector. This proves that modernization of the existing building stock includes multiple benefits for the society.

What does the GlobalABC contribute to the Paris Agreemeent and global climate goals?

Even though buildings have a huge potential to mitigate climate change, there has never been sufficient focus on the multiple opportunities and benefits of modernizing the existing building stock. By establishing the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction at COP21 in Paris we have now created a platform where we can discuss and present the untapped potential in buildings at COP and where we can bring forward solutions and best cases, in a global and transnational network involving politicians, ministries, companies and NGO organizations.