Talking COP’s Buildings Breakthrough with Lindsay Baker

This is international climate policy news, not something that changes what's available for your house right now. At the 2023 U.N. climate conference (COP28), officials launched an initiative called the Buildings Breakthrough. It sets goals for the global building industry to work toward near-zero-emission, resilient buildings becoming standard by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement's climate targets.

Lindsay Baker, CEO of Living Future, described the initiative as laying out a clear set of focus areas for the building sector, essentially spelling out what role construction and building design need to play in meeting international climate goals, and where the industry should concentrate its efforts over the next several years.

For a homeowner, this is background on where the building industry as a whole is heading, not a program you can apply to or a rebate tied to your address. It signals that governments and industry groups are coordinating around common targets for lower-emission, sturdier buildings worldwide. Any effect on your own home would come later, through whatever national or state policies, codes, or incentive programs eventually grow out of efforts like this one. For now, there is nothing here to act on directly, but it is a sign that building efficiency and resilience will keep getting more attention from policymakers in the years ahead.