UN Climate Change News, 11 July 2025 - During the June UN Climate Meetings in Bonn, the Technology Mechanism under the UNFCCC hosted a side event that brought together experts, government representatives and financial institutions to examine how data, finance and technology can drive the deployment of climate technologies in buildings and infrastructure.
Organized in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Climate Policy Center, the session underscored the urgent need to scale up climate solutions for buildings, especially in developing countries.
Buildings and Cities at the Heart of Climate Solutions
Buildings account for nearly one-third of global CO₂ emissions and are highly vulnerable to climate impacts. However, they also offer a major opportunity for rapid and cost-effective action. Opening the session, Sophie De Coninck, Director of Means of Implementation at UN Climate Change, stressed the urgent need for an integrated approach that combines policy, technology, data, and finance.
Representing the COP30 Presidency, H.E. Ambassador Antonio Da Costa e Silva of Brazil's Ministry of Cities called for a greater focus on urban issues ahead of COP30 in Belém. While forests are expected to be a central theme, he argued that COP30 should also be "a COP of cities" - noting that 80% of the Amazonian population lives in urban areas grappling with informal settlements, housing deficits, and rising climate risks.
Data-Driven Tools for Decision-Making
MIT Professor Christoph Reinhart presented innovative digital tools that model energy use and retrofit potential for millions of buildings. In Massachusetts, these tools have already informed policy and incentive design. Users can input building characteristics to receive tailored retrofit options, cost estimates, and projected emissions reductions.
The tools are now being adapted for use in other countries, such as Brazil, India and Portugal, to support globally accessible, open-data models that empower both governments and building owners to make informed decisions.
Hanane Hafraoui of GlobalABC highlighted that the "technology toolkit" for buildings already exists, with a catalogue by the Solar Impulse Foundation/GlobalABC containing over 1,500 cost-effective, ready-to-deploy solutions. She stressed the need to align policy, skills development and finance to accelerate implementation.
Financial Institutions Call for Market Signals
In a panel discussion, experts from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), University College London (UCL), and Kyrgyzstan stressed the importance of market-enabling environments.
EBRD's Jan Willem Van de Ven called for clear national strategies and locally adapted energy performance standards. Dastan Abdyldaev from Kyrgyzstan shared the country's experience revising national building codes, despite limited data, with support from the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). UCL's York Ostermeyer discussed the role of digital building passports in reducing investment risk and borrowing costs, noting that well-documented energy performance can lower interest rates by 15-25 basis points in Europe, making a significant difference over time.
Participants also highlighted key challenges for the Global South, including data gaps, informal construction and evolving building types. They stressed the need for inclusive finance, noting that lack of land tenure and insurance complicates investment in informal settlements. There were also calls for sustainability in building design, focusing on the need for reduced consumption and the importance of collaboration - with growing interest in the harmonization of tools, standards and data models.
Next Steps
The Technology Executive Committee (TEC) is preparing two policy briefs to help countries accelerate climate action in buildings and infrastructure. Discussions will continue at the TEC's 31st meeting (TEC 31) in September 2025, with members and partners exploring how best to implement these insights and recommendations.
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