The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) conducted by the United Nations Framework for Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) was held from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Expo City, Dubai under the presidency of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The conference concluded the first ever global stocktake of climate action under the Paris Agreement and agreed to accelerate short-term climate actions. Other significant milestones achieved in COP28 were operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund and adoption of a framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation to strengthen collective action in building climate resilience.

This year at COP28, Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI and President, GRIHA Council; Mr Sanjay Seth, Senior Director, TERI and Vice President and CEO, GRIHA Council and Ms Shabnam Bassi, Director, TERI and Deputy CEO-cum-Secretary & Treasurer, GRIHA Council engaged in various deliberations on global climate action and sustainability challenges in the built environment. Additionally, they also explored the potential measures to address the underlying impediments in achieving net-zero climate goal in the building and construction industry.

The team was invited to several interesting and thought-provoking sessions organized by Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Saint Gobain and International Solar Alliance (ISA). In the various sessions the team partook in:

• deliberations pertaining to Government of India’s roadmap as a growing economy to make the cement and concrete sector net zero.
• highlighted the role of Indian HVAC industry in leading the sustainable cooling agenda and meeting the goals of India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP).
• shared their insights on unleashing the potential of sustainable construction in the Global South.
• discussed ways to mobilize research on urban priorities and facilitating the Urban Transition Mission (UTM) Research and Innovation Clusters.
• underlined measures to advance access to affordable & sustainable cooling and building resilience to extreme heat through innovations.
• provided insights promoting gender inclusivity in energy access and climate action plan.
• participated in the Buildings Breakthrough Official Launch of Buildings and Construction for Sustainable Cities organized by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC).
• joined the Built Environment Market Transformation workshop conducted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

The team also interacted with numerous world leaders and industry experts in various bilateral and multilateral meetings and explored potential collaborations to advance the discourse on sustainable construction and building practices.

Taking back the invaluable insights from COP28 and aligning with the global vision of sustainable development, GRIHA Council as a catalyst, continues to fervently work towards the sustainable transformation of construction and building sector.