Governments from 70 countries ratified the Chaillot Declaration in Paris, with the aim of re-evaluating and adapting the way buildings are constructed in order to mitigate global warming and, at the same time, protect buildings from heat waves and bad weather. This initiative aims to prioritize renovation over new construction and reuse materials.
The ministers responsible for the environment or construction in the signatory countries adopted the "Chaillot Declaration", named after the Paris palace where it was completed. During the first "World Forum on Buildings and Climate", held at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, organized by the United Nations Environment Agency together with the French government, the Declaration was issued.
The declaration remains open to new support and has the virtue of bringing together more countries in the coming weeks, stressed the French Ministry for Ecological Transition.
The main objective is to decarbonize the construction industry
The primary objective is to decarbonize the construction industry, one of the main emitters of greenhouse gases, while at the same time making buildings more resistant to the storms, floods and heatwaves that are on the increase, especially in the most vulnerable countries of the South.
It should be noted that this was the first time that builders, architects, engineers, design offices and material manufacturers from all over the world met with international diplomats and donors to discuss the climate issue.
The situation is urgent and construction is a sector in which global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and that it is not on track to achieve decarbonization by 2050, according to the declaration adopted, cited by Lusa.
Ligia Noronha, UN under-secretary-general, stressed that the private sector's participation would have to reach more than 24 billion euros by 2030 to achieve this net zero. It is also necessary to redirect financial flows, as well as a suitable regulatory framework, she said.
The executive director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, lamented the fact that 110 countries do not have mandatory energy efficiency standards.