Why the SBC programme?

Despite the gains made in the last decade to combat greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and climate change, it remains a significant challenge globally. Buildings and construction are the largest contributor of GHG emissions. To achieve long term sustainable development, fundamental changes are needed in how we produce and consume. Global initiatives such as the Ten-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) were established to address the challenge of sustainable consumption and production (SCP). The 10YFP operating through the One Planet Network consists of six programmes, one of which is the Sustainable Buildings and Construction (SBC). The OPN is anchored in Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12) of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda, and target 12.1 responds to the implementation of the 10YFP. The chapter provides a brief description of the One Planet Network (OPN) and the underlying rationale for the establishment of the Sustainable Buildings and Construction (SBC) programme, launched in 2015. This chapter highlights the urgency of the triple planetary crises: climate change, GHG emissions, and biodiversity loss, and identifies the current trends in addressing these issues through the buildings and construction sector. It endorses the current role of embodied carbon, operational and end-of-life in buildings and construction across the Global North and Global South. The chapter underscores the current role of embodied carbon, operational and end-of-life in buildings and construction across the Global North and Global South.