Brazil’s Blueprint for Sustainable Construction at COP30

As the global community prepares for the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, sustainable construction is gaining momentum as a climate imperative and a means to preserve ecosystems and empower communities, especially in forested and climate-vulnerable regions like the Amazon.

On 22 July 2025, the UNEP-convened Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) and Cool Coalition co-hosted the second session of their COP30 Buildings and Cooling Pavilion Webinar Series, titled “Sustainable Construction in Brazil: Bio-based Materials for a Living Amazon.” The session brought together experts across architecture, procurement, and ecosystem resilience to discuss how regenerative, locally rooted solutions can support both people and the planet.

Moderated by GlobalABC Communications Specialist Antara Islam, the event framed the built environment as both a climate challenge and an opportunity for systemic transformation. Islam anchored the discussion in the context of the COP30 Action Agenda and emphasized the importance of elevating Brazil’s leadership in nature-based construction as a global example.

Opening remarks were delivered by Mona Abdulghani Naji Mohammed, Programme Officer at UNEP’s Cities Unit, who underscored the rising emissions from building materials and the urgent need to promote circularity and bio-based alternatives. She introduced UNEP’s Materials Hub, which supports just transition to sustainable construction materials, and explained that “scaling up sustainable construction solutions is not only possible, but necessary if we want to meet near-zero emissions targets in this decade.”

Mirey Atallah, Head of the Nature for Climate Branch at UNEP, delivered a keynote that challenged siloed thinking between climate and biodiversity. She called for a paradigm shift that centres forests as assets in the climate fight: “If we don’t give forests an economic value, we make them vulnerable,” she said, arguing that forest-based materials like sustainably sourced timber can provide both livelihood and conservation benefits. Atallah also advocated for public policies that integrate social justice and ecological sustainability.

Paul King, CEO of Built by Nature, introduced the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction, a new global framework co-developed with industry, civil society, and government actors. King emphasized the importance of traceability, biodiversity safeguards, and indigenous rights in timber value chains. “Done right, timber is one of our most scalable, carbon-storing solutions. Done wrong, it can be devastating,” he noted. He also highlighted the Built by Nature Prize, to be awarded at COP30, as a catalyst for projects that embed regenerative principles in real-world architecture.

Turning to public procurement, Silvana Loayza Leon, Sustainable Built Environment Consultant at One Planet, presented One Planet’s Global Framework for Action, which support governments harnessing sustainable and circular public procurement to drive demand for a near-zero emission and resilient built environment. She detailed how government purchasing power can shift markets toward low-carbon construction, and explained UNEP’s work in supporting member states to develop criteria and roadmaps. “Procurement is not just a technical process. It’s a strategic tool for climate action,” she remarked.

Bringing the conversation to the ground level, Noelia Monteiro, Director of Estudio Flume, shared insights from three architectural projects developed with forest-dwelling communities in the Brazilian Amazon. Working closely with the traditional Povo Jupaú, Monteiro emphasized participatory design, local knowledge systems, and bio-based materials, such as açaí fiber and bamboo. “These buildings are co-created. They reflect not only climate realities but cultural identity,” she said, urging donors and regulators to make space for non-conventional design processes.

Luis Ignacio Faria da Silva, Coordinator of the Architecture and Biosphere Research Group at Escola da Cidade, expanded on how architectural pedagogy in Brazil is evolving to support socio-ecological regeneration. He presented the Floresta project, developed with the Jupaú community, as a model of how architecture can serve as a bridge between ancestral knowledge and sustainable design. “This isn’t about importing models. It’s about rediscovering what is already there,” he said.

The Q&A session included questions ranging from sourcing sustainable materials in remote regions to financing indigenous-led construction and integrating circularity into national procurement laws. Throughout the discussion, speakers repeatedly emphasized the need for system-wide coordination, from community participation to public investment and architectural education.

The webinar was part of the official run-up to the COP30 Buildings and Cooling Pavilion, which will be hosted in the Blue Zone from 10 to 21 November 2025. Submissions for sessions closed in July, with nearly 200 proposals received. A joint GlobalABC and Cool Coalition selection committee is currently reviewing submissions to announce the programme in autumn.

Watch the recording here.

Register here for the third webinar in the series, “COP30 Implementation: From Pledges to Action,” which will be held on 3 September 2025.