BEYOND THE BUSINESS CASE WHY YOU CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO INVEST IN A SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
About WorldGBC
Foreword CEO
Executive Summary
1.0
Introduction
We acknowledge both the challenge and urgency of transitioning to a net zero, regenerative, healthy and equitable society before 2050.
This is a critical decade for united, international efforts to enhance sustainability. The climate crisis must be tackled with absolute urgency. Climate change impacts are widespread, real and intensifying, and some impacts are now irreversible1. Deep and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are the only possibility to limit further climate change. However, with the emissions already released to date, it could take 20-30 years to see global temperatures stabilise. Therefore some future climate impacts are, sadly, inevitable2. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified a diverse range of inequalities between and within societies3. Differences between high and low income countries, plus intra-nation health inequalities, gender inequalities and employment disparities have made their mark on society, and will likely take decades to heal4. In the next decade, global population is expected to grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, combined with changes in spatial distribution driven by increasing urbanisation5. The risk of inequalities in resource availability and quality of life
BEYOND THE BUSINESS CASE
Introduction
will heighten with rapid urbanisation and population growth, alongside the demand and consumption of global resources and our natural capital. We acknowledge both the challenge and urgency of transitioning to a net zero, regenerative, healthy and equitable society before 2050, and we call for the building and construction sector to play its part. In the last two decades, sustainability has rapidly mainstreamed to become the powerful principle it is today – catalysing efforts, budgets, attention and attitudes6 as climate change is growing in public awareness7, and governments and institutions are committing to re-evaluating and improving regulations8. For some societies, sustainable growth linked with circularity is the most viable long-term option9. The value proposition for investment in net zero, healthy and equitable built environments is now stronger than ever.
Context
The Socially Responsible Value Proposition
The Financial Business Case
Key Findings
IN THE LAST TWO DECADES, SUSTAINABILITY HAS RAPIDLY MAINSTREAMED TO BECOME THE POWERFUL PRINCIPLE IT IS TODAY - CATALYSING EFFORTS, BUDGETS, ATTENTION AND ATTITUDES
A WORLD GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL REPORT
Endnotes
1 IPCC, ‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’ (2021) 2 IPCC, ‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’ (2021) 3 WEF, ‘COVID-19 is increasing multiple kinds of inequality’ (2020) 4 UN Foundation, ‘The shadow pandemic: how the COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating gender inequality’ (2020) 5 6 7 8 9