WorldGBC - Global Update (Jul 2019)

Green building leaders elected to WorldGBC's Board,

Regional Networks and to lead Corporate Advisory Board

Dear GBCs and Partners

Welcome to the July edition of the Global Update newsletter. 

Earlier this week, we announced the election of new Board Directors as well as new Chairs and Vice Chairs of WorldGBC's Regional Networks and Corporate Advisory Board. 

I'm delighted to announce that four new global green building leaders have joined the Board and three existing Directors have been re-appointed for a two year term. The following Executive Committee members have also been elected to sit alongside our current Chair Lisa Bate: Tanya Cox and Ilari Aho (Vice Chairs), Saeed Al Abbar (Treasurer) and Ada Fung (Board Secretary). The Board leads the strategic direction of WorldGBC which underpins collaboration and growth opportunities for our Green Building Council network and also the wider global movement. 

To read the biographies of all of WorldGBC’s Board Directors, click here.

Furthermore, we have appointed the Regional Chairs and Vice Chairs for our Regional Networks to help strengthen the network of Green Buildings Councils in each respective region. To find out more about our Regional Networks and to read the biographies of all of its Chairs and Vice Chairs, click here.

And finally, Emmanuel Normant, Vice President, Sustainable Development at Saint-Gobain has been re-appointed the Chair of the Corporate Advisory Board, with Ibrahim Al-Zu'bi, Chief Sustainability Officer at Majid Al Futtaim re-appointed Vice Chair and Alec Saltikoff, Global Director of Sustainability, Global Real Estate at JPMorgan Chase also elected Vice Chair.

Our new leaders have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of sustainability and have championed green building as one of the most effective solutions to climate change. Their commitment and expertise in professional governance and sustainability in the sector will be a huge asset to our green building movement and I look forward to working with them all as we collectively seek to deliver green buildings for everyone, everywhere.

Best wishes

Cristina Gamboa, CEO, World Green Building Council 

Building up to greener buildings in Europe 

Last week, over 20 countries from WorldGBC's Europe Regional Network published a manifesto, A Sustainable Built Environment at the Heart of Europe’s Future urging European decision makers to recognise the vital role that the built environment sector plays in delivering a climate neutral Europe. The manifesto focuses on eight shared priority areas including CO2 emissions, circular economy, water, health, resilience, biodiversity, cost and the just transition. The manifesto clearly outlines the key policy and regulatory changes that leaders must endorse and champion against each of these areas to realise the potential of the sector. To read the manifesto, click here. Back in June, we released a new report Creating an Energy Efficient Mortgage for Europe: The Supporting Role of the Green Building Sector setting out the roadmap to grow the market for energy efficiency mortgages - with potential to transform millions of buildings across Europe - read it here.

Join WorldGBC's AGM on 27 August 2019

WorldGBC's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Tuesday 27 August 2019 at 11:00 (BST). This year the AGM is being held at the WorldGBC office in London, however you are invited to join the meeting virtually as there are no additional events running in conjunction with the AGM this year. Your GBC voting representative (the CEO, or if you do not have a CEO, the Chair) will shortly receive an email confirming the final agenda and information about the AGM. The agenda will include the following items: approval of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 5 June 2018; an overview of the state of business of WorldGBC; shaping the WorldGBC Strategy for 2020-2022 and an update on plans for the remainder of 2019. All staff from member Green Building Councils are invited to join the AGM. If you have not received the email by Friday 12 July, please contact WorldGBC Corporate Secretary Alexis Dangel - [email protected]

China GBC starts delivering on net zero

After a successful first year of being part of the WorldGBC global network, China Green Building Council has been actively engaged in a range of initiatives to support our collective green building mission. During the last year, China GBC has held their first healthy building conference with support from WorldGBC and has prioritised and engaged in WorldGBC's Advancing Net Zero project in Asia, helping accelerate and scale net zero carbon buildings. Not only is China the largest building construction market in the world, but the country is also currently the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for around 30 per cent of global emissions. Therefore, these activities are key in a country that continues to urbanise at a fast pace and has an important global and regional role to deliver on a vision of net zero carbon buildings, sustainable communities and low carbon cities. For more information, contact Allan Teo - [email protected]

HuGBC progresses to Established GBC