UKGBC responds to the UK Government's climate ambitions for COP29

Simon McWhirter, Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council, responds to the UK Government's considerations to raise climate ambitions ahead of COP29.

Simon McWhirter, Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council, said: 

Ramping up our climate ambitions on the international stage is both a welcome and necessary move. Over the last few years we’ve ceded our leadership position not just in terms of the political bravery on show; but our real-world delivery against our current climate targets. The new government has set out more progressive proposals around energy and climate, and ahead of COP29 can now seize this critical opportunity to set the bar for climate action.

With more than a quarter of carbon emissions coming from the built environment, this sector can play a key role in achieving these ambitious goals. The UN Buildings Breakthrough initiative, launched at COP28, recognised this potential, with a mandate to make near-zero-emission and resilient buildings the new normal by 2030 – and we can steal the march on that target.”

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