Blueprint for change: A strategy to transform buildings and the world they shape

Buildings are the stage on which human life unfolds. They are our homes, our social spaces, places of culture, learning, and health. They are also a huge part of our economy and provide livelihoods. Real estate and infrastructure represent two-thirds of global wealth; buildings and construction provide over 200 million jobs.  

This vast stage is also a huge contributor to climate change – accounting for nearly 40% of carbon emissions globally. The way we design, construct, and operate buildings must evolve, both in response to climate change, and in recognition of the fundamental shifts in how we live, work, and move through our cities. We are not just building structures — we are shaping the future of communities, economies, and ecosystems. 

In this time of global flux, the launch of WorldGBC’s 2025–2027 strategy represents more than a roadmap. It’s a call to reimagine the built environment as a driver of a new clean economy, of equity, regeneration, and resilience. 

The cities and businesses that lead on sustainability will be the ones that thrive. Despite political headwinds, investors are already shifting capital to greener assets and supporting the transition, and forward-thinking companies are positioning themselves ahead of the curve.  
 
“In this time of global flux, the launch of WorldGBC’s 2025–2027 strategy represents more than a roadmap. It’s a call to reimagine the built environment as a driver of a new clean economy, of equity, regeneration, and resilience,” says Cristina Gamboa, WordGBC CEO. 
 
Addressing the (red) elephant in the room 
Since January, a stark linguistic pivot has taken shape in U.S. federal government communications. Executive orders have erased the language of “climate justice,” “diversity,” and “inclusion” from public websites and reports.  

But while Washington pulls back, state and city governments are stepping in. Urban leaders are adopting a language of resilience, energy independence, equity, and sustainable infrastructure, drawing from the lived reality of climate impacts on communities and housing. Their approach aligns closely with the kind of transformation that is at the core of WorldGBC’s mission. 

And though the “Simplification Omnibus” sees the European Union trying to balance ambition with practicality, this doesn’t need to mean compromise. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is moving forward across member states, now tied more directly to citizen wellbeing and energy poverty reduction, centring on affordability, health, and resilience — a more inclusive vocabulary that mirrors WorldGBC’s people-first focus.   

Building on existing momentum 
Despite current uncertainties, I believe that when we look back on this period, we will see the past few years as a time when crucial building blocks were slotted into place.

The latest Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction (GSR 2025) marks a key milestone: no increase in annual carbon emissions from building sector growth for the first time in 2023. 

A number of international agreements on sustainable buildings have been signed, from the Buildings Breakthrough which is targeting near-zero emission and resilient buildings as the new normal by 2030, to the Declaration de Chaillot backed by the Intergovernmental Council on Buildings and Climate. At COP28, the UAE consensus signalled the ‘beginning of the end’ for the fossil fuel era, with the world agreeing to transition away from oil, gas and coal; to triple renewables; and to double the rate of energy efficiency. The built environment is pivotal to ensure that vision can be delivered and benefit all communities around the world. 

The power of our network 
Throughout our journey of two decades championing sustainability, what we’ve learned is that to achieve true transformation, after the global consensus must come local action and implementation.

Our global-regional-local network of over 75 national Green Building Councils, is uniquely placed to align ambitions, goals and commitments at the global level and follow-through with on-the-ground local impact.  

With significant experience uniting a fragmented value chain, WorldGBC harnesses its convening power to: 
Align – ambition, definitions, principles, and action 
Partner – across the built environment system to pursue a common goal 
Scale – advocacy, projects, solutions, and knowledge sharing that accelerate change 

We achieve this by:
Developing frameworks that systematically set out how the industry should move towards a zero-carbon future. These include our Zero Carbon Climate Resilience Readiness Framework, our EU Policy Roadmap, and more than a dozen national decarbonisation roadmaps from the Green Building Councils (GBCs). 

Driving and supporting policy action around the world, from supplying Global Policy Principles and acting as co-lead on standards and certifications for the Buildings Breakthrough; to transforming regulatory conversations on whole-life carbon in Europe and beyond. 

Accelerating commitment from industry and finance. Our global Sustainable Finance Taskforce is growing, while over 150 businesses, cities and governments have signed up to our Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment. 

Supercharging the ambition loop 
Buildings aren’t just physical structures. They’re where the economy meets society, where policy meets people. There is no one stakeholder group, policy or solution capable of delivering the built environment sustainable transition. The transformation depends on every actor within a system pulling every lever available to them to carry the mission forward.

Gamboa emphasises, “This can create a self-reinforcing ambition loop – a positive feedback system in which bold government policies, private sector and civil society leadership and finance investment reinforce each other and make substantial change possible.”  
 
Building the Transition is WorldGBC’s flagship global programme to deliver our 2025–2027 strategy in action. It is where vision meets implementation — where ambition becomes architecture. Spanning regions, disciplines, and sectors, Building the Transition is the connective tissue that links global goals to local action, and accelerates real-world solutions. It supports GBCs and stakeholders at every level — equipping them with the tools, insights, and platforms they need to take bold action. 

We’ll empower changemakers from across the value chain, from designers and suppliers to owners and occupiers, with clear roadmaps to understand their role and which actions to take first to advance decarbonisation and resilience. 

We’ll equip finance actors to deploy their capital effectively and give them the guidance and tools to assess financial risks and opportunities, with sustainability impact metrics that allow contextualised comparability. 

And we’ll work to inspire politicians with a vision, supported by market and scientific data, of how low carbon and sustainable building and finance regulations deliver on citizens’ priorities to enable ambitious and equitable policies.  

Change is happening now 
Despite the turbulence of 2025 — or perhaps because of it — a new kind of economy is coming into focus. Cleaner. More efficient. Built to withstand shocks. Regenerating communities and nature. And powered by people.   

The signals of change and opportunity are loud and clear: 
Consumer behaviour is pushing companies toward more sustainable business models, with 67% of consumers considering sustainability in their purchasing decisions. 

Climate tech in buildings, such as smart energy systems, heat pumps, passive design modelling, AI for HVAC optimisation is rapidly advancing. The heat pump market, a key solution for removing fossil fuels from buildings, is expected to see compound annual growth of 13% through this decade and beyond.  

Perceptions of a company’s sustainability account for 3% of global brand equity, equating to $193 billion USD for the top 100 brands.

Large financial institutions are moving past ESG checklists and toward language grounded in impact materiality and climate-integrated decision-making. 

From 2014 to 2021, green debt finance proceeds have increased substantially as a share of total proceeds allocated to buildings, rising from 22% to around 30%.
Green real estate debt markets are experiencing faster growth than other green debt markets and globally, real estate investment trusts (REITs) have substantially increased their green bond issuance in the last 10 years. 

And firms are innovating like never before, with 70 percent of built environment venture capital investment now going towards climate action. 

Be part of the transition 
The path ahead is unfolding before us. Across industries, regions, and political systems, the signals are converging.

“Long-term strategy is winning over short-termism, and forward-thinking, visionary businesses and governments will reap the rewards sooner than we think.,” says Gamboa.
 
This is the moment to lean in. To scale bold ideas, to speak with clarity and conviction and to plan like the future is already here. 

At WorldGBC, we’re delivering a strategy built for impact — designed not just to imagine change, but to make it happen for improved livelihoods of communities worldwide. But we can’t do it alone. 

We invite you — whether you’re a policymaker, investor, developer, designer, advocate, or occupier — to work with WorldGBC and your local GBC. Together we can build momentum and unlock the shared prosperity of the sustainable buildings transition.