COP29: Built world took centre stage

"cop29c7216" (CC BY 2.0) by IAEA Imagebank

Until this year, COP (Conference of the Parties) events were the focal point of global efforts to combat climate change. But the daily reports from last month’s COP29 went broadly unnoticed – many people hadn’t realised the conference was happening at all. With 2030 and its many environmental deadlines drawing closer, is the public’s interest in climate reform waning?

While media coverage of the event was muted by historic comparisons, it’s fair to say that the built environment’s contribution to tackling climate change was more visible than ever. COP29 provided the built environment with clear directives, building blocks, and the confidence to leverage its potential in reducing global climate impacts.

We’re used to these annual conferences being finance-focused; and this was even more so the case at this year’s affair at Baku in Azerbaijan. Readily described as the ‘Finance COP’, conference leaders made it clear that this wasn't the year for new pledges or deals, but rather the opportunity to implement what we have failed to provide so far. This new focus highlights the mounting pressure to transform financial commitments into tangible actions that address the urgency of the climate crisis in very real terms.

Yet those fiscal commitments have not been well received. The flagship deal from the event - the $300bn annual funding to decarbonise developing countries – is argued by those nations that this is some way off the $1.5bn they we’re hoping for. There was also a significant lack of progress in phasing out fossil fuels.

However, there is one sector that did benefit from a wave of financial support: the built environment.

Awareness around the built environment’s role in climate change gained significant traction last year, with the launch of the Buildings Breakthrough programme. Set to provide a framework to make net-zero buildings the new norm by 2030, the programme saw 27 countries committing to the cause. With climate commitments often being less than watertight, it’s a welcome surprise that COP29 not only put this goal back on the agenda, but actually provided guidance on how this can be implemented.

As more evidence emerges demonstrating that green buildings alone won’t be enough to meet 2030 sustainability targets, COP29 acknowledged greater emphasis on retrofitting and reuse of existing buildings. The convention introduced a new financial tool designed to accelerate the funding of sustainable infrastructure and retrofit of properties, alongside development of green buildings. With the objective of creating conditions for greater funding and reduced costs; both of which will incentivise our sector to pursue reuse without the usual cost barriers.

It didn’t stop there. The conference went beyond the expected discussions to touch on heritage versus sustainability. Although this is a well-known debate in the built environment sector, it’s elevation this year was surprising.

Heritage buildings were not only recognised but celebrated as assets in climate action. Where COP28 focused on tech and innovation, COP29 integrated cultural and heritage aspects into climate solutions, showcasing how these structures can in fact, complement tech innovations to achieve climate targets.

Whilst it’s encouraging to see these climate solutions being considered on a global level, what steps can the UK contribute to this collective effort?

A likely reason why COP29 fell from public discourse was the notable absence of world leaders. Someone who did mark a strong presence, however, was Sir Keir Starmer. His ‘pledge’ on the second day of the event to ‘reduce the UK’s GHG emissions by 81% by 2035’ certainly turned heads. In other words, for the UK to meet this new target, it will need to make rapid and substantial investments in renewable energy and efficiency improvements. As key contributors to the country’s energy demand, we can expect that buildings, technology, and infrastructure will be the primary sectors involved.

At a conference where much of the debate centred around 'who the next climate leader will be', the UK has now set itself one of the most ambitious climate goals globally.

So, will the UK take the leap, fulfil its promises of sustainable investment in the built world and establish itself as the next climate leader? Proof will be in the pudding, but it’s clear that the government’s targets will require collaboration from both public and private sectors.  And if they do want to ‘build, build, build’ 1.5m new homes, and ‘invest, invest, invest’ in critical infrastructure, our sector is at the precipice of delivering environmentally sound growth.