Declaration de Chaillot at the first Buildings and Climate Global Forum

The Buildings and Climate Global Forum brought together ministers, government officials and high-level representatives of key organizations in the buildings and construction sector to discuss the pathways to decarbonization (net-zero emission) and resilience, and followed up on the progress made during the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) as well as the launch of the Buildings Breakthrough, which includes 28 signatory countries. The Forum was co-organized by France and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with support of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction and took place in Paris during the 7th and 8th of March, 2024.  

The Chaillot Declaration - now supported by over 70 countries - seeks to create momentum for global action towards decarbonizing buildings and strengthening climate resilience strategies and sets an important step for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It underscores the importance of international cooperation and urges commitments from governments, as well as state and non-state actors in the building and construction sectors, providing a solid base for future discussions. 

Circularity and whole life cycle approaches are considered within the acknowledgment of principles to be pursued in urban planning and construction to align the sector to the Paris Agreement, from the design and planning stage to the low-carbon and energy efficient use of materials, and the anticipation for life extension.  In addition, commitments around a consistent implementation of the Paris Agreement through the uptake of appropriate policies and measures, emphasizing the need of “Leading by example through ambitious procurement policies with particular attention to public building procurements”.  

In this context, the One Planet Network’s flagship initiative, “Mainstreaming Circularity in the Construction Sector Leveraging the Power of Public Procurement”, aligns with the objectives and commitments of the Chaillot Declaration, and in support of the Buildings Breakthrough Agenda Recommendation 2 on Demand Creation: “Governments should jointly create and strengthen procurement commitments for near-zero emission and resilient buildings, as well as joining existing (low-carbon material) procurement alliances. Countries should work to establish new joint commitments on deploying clean and efficient heating and cooling technologies.”