Bureau Veritas has released an updated version of its whitepaper “Buildings & Climate: Decarbonization and Resilience”, now available for download.
The publication addresses one of the most urgent global challenges: reducing the carbon footprint of buildings while strengthening resilience against climate change.
In March 2024, leaders and experts from over 70 countries gathered in Paris to sign the “Chaillot Declaration”, a global call to accelerate building decarbonization and climate resilience. The declaration emphasizes the importance of sustainable urban planning, construction, and retrofitting. It also highlights the need for collaboration, data sharing, and the adoption of best practices across the entire building value chain.
Why Buildings Matter in the Climate Transition
The building sector accounts for more than one-third of global energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
With rapid urbanization - over half of the world’s population already lives in cities - demand for construction materials is expected to rise sharply. At the same time, construction, demolition, and renovation generate billions of tons of waste each year, much of which ends up in landfills.
Buildings are among the most vulnerable assets to climate-related hazards, including heatwaves, sea-level rise, heavy rainfall, and extreme winds. These risks are projected to intensify with ongoing climate change. As a result, a building’s sustainability performance directly affects:
- Compliance with evolving regulations
- Access to financing and investment
- Operational and construction costs
- Market value and asset longevity
- Insurance coverage and premiums.
