CHICAGO—A broad and diverse coalition of more than 30 organizations active in countries around the world recently announced a Call for Partners for an international alliance advocating for sustainable building practices as a key strategy for combating climate change.
The Global Leadership in Our Built Environment Alliance (GLOBE)—led in partnership by the U.S. Green Building Council together with the World Green Building Council and its members, environmental organizations, and businesses—will work around the world to educate, raise awareness and generate support from global policymakers, financial institutions and U.N. bodies for cost-effective investment in sustainable building practices. With a unified voice and a coordinated global advocacy strategy, the GLOBE Alliance is committed to fostering leadership to bring to scale the low cost, often profitable benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable design, construction and operations of our built environment.
Partners of the GLOBE Alliance seek to capture the energy saving and carbon reduction potential existing in buildings and urban areas. The network will push for policies and measures that support technical, regulatory, and financial resources for green communities and efficient buildings in developed and developing countries—which according to scientists, could reduce CO2 emissions in those sectors by at least 30 percent in the short term.
What Partners are Saying
“Buildings are a fundamental solution to mitigating global climate change. We are calling for urgent action from the public and private sectors to spur sustainable building practices that reduce carbon dioxide emissions around the world.”—Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of USGBC
“Forty-six Green Building Councils, representing over half of our membership, are in developing nations. We believe the inclusion of the built environment in financial tools geared toward lowering emissions, like carbon trading, will support local economic development in these countries while helping solve this important global issue.”—Jane Henley, CEO, World Green Building Council
“Through GLOBE, we are shifting the dialogue on green, energy-efficient buildings to include all regions of the world, not just wealthy nations. World leaders must begin fusing economic development with low emission solutions in all countries and begin breaking down the barriers to more sustainable communities and buildings.”—Ashok Gupta, Senior Energy Economist and Director of Energy Policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council
Philippine Green Building Council Comments
“Sixty percent of our population resides along the coastline, considered one of the longest in the world. We are one of the most vulnerable and least able to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. It is paramount our industry become part of the global sustainability dialogue and to ensure that we put in place an appropriate response.”—Christopher Cruz de la Cruz, Chairman and President, Philippine Green Building Council
“Buildings represent a tremendous opportunity for energy savings and environmental conservation. By focusing world leaders on the economic and environmental benefits that can be achieved by improving the efficiency of new and existing buildings, the GLOBE Alliance will help find solutions to the world’s energy challenges. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is proud to partner with the Alliance and help bring policymakers together to address our common energy needs through improved building efficiency.”—Lynn G. Bellenger, President, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
Click here for more information.
