Background

This session will explore how electrifying buildings and improving energy efficiency can drive rapid, large-scale reductions in building-sector emissions. As the sector accounts for nearly 40 percent of global energy-related emissions, the transition to efficient, electrified heating and cooling is critical to achieving global climate targets.

Speakers from Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Kenya will share public and private perspectives on whole life carbon as a decision-making framework and the importance of cutting operational emissions. Representatives from the UK Climate Change Committee, Germany’s energy agency DENA, the International Energy Agency, Daikin, and Arup will examine how electrified, energy-efficient solutions can accelerate the decarbonisation of the built environment.

Objectives

• Highlight the role of building electrification and efficiency in delivering rapid emission reductions aligned with global climate goals.

• Demonstrate the value of a whole life carbon approach, with a particular focus on reducing operational emissions from heating and cooling.

• Share international best practices and policies, with insights from governments, regulatory agencies, and industry leaders.

• Showcase technological and systems-level solutions, including efficient electrified HVAC and integrated design strategies.

• Foster cross-sectoral collaboration, building links between policy, finance, and implementation actors across key regions.

Agenda

15:00 – 15:03
Opening Remarks
Hongpeng Lei, Director, Mitigation Branch, UNEP

15:03 – 15:10
Keynote Address
Itsuhiro Miura, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Government of Japan

15:10 – 15:15
Setting the Scene
Kazuya Shimada, CSR and Global Environment Center, Daikin

15:15 – 15:35
Fireside Dialogue
Chair: Inka Randebrock, Senior Expert for International Building and Construction, DENA

• Nigel Topping, Chair, UK Climate Change Committee
• Kristina Haverkamp, Managing Director, German Energy Agency (DENA)

15:35 – 16:25
Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A
Moderator: Inka Randebrock, Senior Expert for International Building and Construction, DENA

• Caroline Ray, Director for East Africa, Arup
• David B. Calabrese, Executive Vice President, Daikin U.S.
• International Energy Agency

16:25 – 16:30
Closing Remarks
Sawai, Senior Executive Officer, Daikin Industries

Resources

Slide deck