Researchers’ Call for Collaborative Action and Offer of Support
Preamble
Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by governments, industries, and societies continue to fall short of the targets set by the Paris Agreement. The built environment sector is critical to addressing the global climate emergency, and a collaborative effort from all stakeholders is essential.
We acknowledge the vital role of the built environment in mitigating climate impacts and the severe risks posed by climate change. With the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) and the SBE Partners, we, Greg Foliente (University of Melbourne, Australia), Matti Kuittinen (Aalto University, Finland), and Thomas Lützkendorf (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany), call for more effective collaboration between researchers and policymakers to confront this challenge.
We invite other responsible researchers—acting independently as members of the global scientific community—to join us in this commitment and offer of support. Please sign the statement below, and encourage your research collaborators and colleagues also to do the same. If you are not a researcher or scientist, please sign as a “Supporter” of the Researchers’ Statement.
For more details, please refer to the accompanying Commentary article in the Buildings & Cities journal here.
The Statement
Researchers’ Call to Action for Breakthrough Decarbonisation Policies in the Building Sector
We, the undersigned researchers and academics, stand united in our commitment to the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Breakthrough Agenda, aiming to limit global warming while advancing global initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation within the building, construction and real estate sector. We declare our support to all stakeholders, and especially those who shape the policy and regulatory environment, to facilitate the required innovation for this transition.
We affirm:
- The critical importance of the sector, which accounts for approximately 40% of all man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (through both direct and indirect sources), in significantly reducing global emissions to ensure the Earth’s systems remain within safe operating boundaries.
- The essential role of the built environment as the foundation for societal and economic progress, fulfilling fundamental human needs. Considering climate change, our built assets must be adapted to deal with evolving risks.
- The need for collaboration across all sectors—government, business and civil society—along with related upstream and downstream industries. Together, we can drive meaningful progress by applying cutting-edge scientific research and knowledge.
We support:
- The previous landmark declarations from the scientific community, such as the “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity” in 1992 and its 2017 update emphasizing the need to safeguard planetary health.
- Sector-specific declarations from scientists and professional groups dedicated to GHG emission mitigation, climate resilience and the sustainability in the built environment, including the 2019 Graz Declaration on carbon-neutral built environment, the 2021 International Energy Agency (IEA) EBC Annex 72 Monte Verità Declaration on stakeholder actions, and the ongoing Built Environment Declares Climate and Biodiversity Emergency petitions.
- The 2024 Déclaration de Chaillot, a shared ministerial vision to drive the Buildings Breakthrough’s decarbonisation goals and foster international cooperation in enhancing the climate resilience of the built environment.
We highlight:
- The urgency of setting and implementing carbon limits in the construction and real estate sectors, aligned with globally defined Earth system boundaries, to ensure our actions stay within the “safe and just” zones.
- The necessity of an all-encompassing, science-based approach that involves every stakeholder and advances decarbonisation efforts on all fronts.
- The importance of social equity and justice in establishing country-specific carbon limits and reduction pathways, ensuring that solutions are context-driven and fair.
- The imperative, in many countries, of establishing legally binding requirements to achieve net-zero GHG emissions in building operations by 2030, and across the entire building life cycle by 2035.
We commit:
- Our individual and collective scientific expertise and resources to research, development, and delivery (RD&D) efforts that produce reliable, evidence-based solutions tailored to national and local.
- To working in interdisciplinary collaboration with fellow scientists and engaging in transdisciplinary innovation with stakeholders across the value chain, supporting both national and global efforts in the decarbonisation of the built environment.
- To fostering education, training, and mentorship for current and future professionals, ensuring they are fully equipped to address the pressing challenges of climate change.
Together, we act—partnering to ensure success, because in the face of this global climate emergency, there is no option but to unite or perish.
Co-Authors*
* All authors contributed equally to the writing of the statement.
Commentary
Read the accompanying Commentary article in the international Buildings & Cities Journal:
Researchers’ Call to Action for Breakthrough Decarbonisation Policies in the Building Sector