The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has said it made significant strides in global engagement, aligning national climate commitments with the buildings sector. Over 40 countries worldwide have utilised its NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings to evaluate their climate action plans, it said.
Launched in June 2025, the NDC Scorecard has catalysed a global collaborative effort, resulting in over 50 national workshops, engagement with more than 1,100 stakeholders from government, industry, and finance, and the generation of 150 policy recommendations to 19 governments. These initiatives have led to the development of 16 National Action Plans and contributed to the integration of new policies in several countries, advancing sustainable building solutions and benefiting millions of citizens.
Tangible policy outcomes from the NDC Scorecard project includes, two new national policies developed in Brazil, integrations within updated NDCs with five regulatory instruments in Chile’s NDC3.0 aligning with national recommendations, as well as four actions incorporated into Morocco’s NDC, said a statement.
The WorldGBC also said that six new building policies have been integrated directly into Nigeria’s NDC, with coverage including the integration of energy efficiency and climate resilience into the national building code, the implementation of two smart, green and climate resilient cities per geographical zone, and mandatory hazard mapping and risk zoning in local planning.
“We are now firmly in the era of implementation and the NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings is a proven tool to deliver it. Aligned with the Global Stocktake agenda, it provides a platform to translate global goals into measurable, accountable outcomes. From Colombia to Nigeria and Brazil, it’s enabling real policy shifts — from circularity targets and taxonomy frameworks to updated building codes,” explained Cristina Gamboa, CEO, World Green Building Council.
She continued, “Buildings are not just part of the climate challenge they are one of our most powerful solutions. The 16 National Action Plans developed via the Scorecard show how we can scale proven policies to build resilient economies, healthy communities, and a zero-carbon future.”
“Everybody knows about the construction industry’s global emissions and how buildings are essential to the adaptation and resiliency agenda. Our buildings will be pivotal in facing heat and cold waves and other extreme climate events. However, our movement can also support the climate transition by connecting people to the agenda in a language they can feel and understand. A green, high-performance building that delivers efficiency, health, and sustainability in everyday homes and offices shows the immediate benefits of climate action,” commented Felipe Faria, CEO, Green Building Council Brasil.
“A positive outcome from the NDC project has been working with the national government to update Colombia’s NDCs. This input was gathered through collaboration with key industry stakeholders from the building and construction sector, industry, and finance at workshops hosted by the Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible (CCCS). We listened to the people who work daily to accelerate sustainable building practices in the sector,” added Angélica Ospina, Executive Director, Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible (CCCS).
Danjuma Waniko, President, Green Building Council Nigeria stated, “We believe buildings can’t just be seen as part of the emissions problem – they’re also part of the solution. Because of its crosscutting impacts, the built environment is a powerful lever for climate action. It touches on people’s daily lives, social equity, resilience, and economic opportunity. If we integrate buildings properly into Nigeria’s NDCs, it’s not just about cutting carbon; it’s about making a long-term investment that puts people, the economy, and the environment at the centre of national priorities.”
Developed by WorldGBC and its global network of 85+ Green Building Councils (GBCs), the NDC Scorecard enables governments and stakeholders to assess and strengthen the buildings component of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, a critical step toward meeting 2030 climate targets, the firm explained.
Following the 2025 update of NDCs, the NDC Scorecard is said to be a vital resource for governments and industry partners to evaluate progress, identify policy gaps and opportunities, and align national climate and building strategies with 1.5-degrees Celsius pathways. Recognising buildings in NDCs and national regulations is essential, as the built environment accounts for nearly one third of global energy-related carbon emissions, and represents one of the largest opportunities to reduce emissions. while improving health and climate resilience, the WorldGBC noted.
The NDC Scorecard was piloted in Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Nigeria and the Philippines, and refined through consultation with over 40 international organisations, including the IEA (International Energy Agency), GlobalABC, C40 Cities, SEforALL, Climate Group and WRI (World Resources Institute), positioning it as global tool for cross sectoral collaboration and policy reform in the built environment, the WorldGBC outlined.
Analysis of the 16 National Action Plans has revealed consistent global themes; governments are being urged to modernise and incorporate energy/water efficiency and carbon into building codes whilst setting minimum performance benchmarks, integrate circularity and resilience into planning, coordinate across ministries, and use fiscal tools such as tax incentives and retrofit support.
The industry is also being urged to implement national decarbonisation roadmaps, adopt green certification schemes and sustainable material use, integrate circular design and resilience into design, train workforce in green building practices, and share pilot project findings and data transparently, the statement concluded.
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Source: ME Construction News
