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

Opening Remarks
Hongpeng Lei, Director, Mitigation Branch, UNEP

Keynote Address
Itsuhiro Miura, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Government of Japan

Setting the Scene
Kazuya Shimada, CSR and Global Environment Center, Daikin

Fireside Dialogue
Chair: Dr Erin Gill, Arup

• Nigel Topping, Chair, UK Climate Change Committee
• Joscha Rosenbusch, PEEB Co-Secretary (GIZ) and Co-Chair of the Global ABC Finance Hub

Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A
Moderator: Audrey Nugent, Director of Global Advocacy, World Green Building Council

• Caroline Ray, Director for East Africa, Arup
• David B. Calabrese, Executive Vice President, Daikin
• Jane Cohen, Senior Policy Analyst, IEA
• Graeme Maidment, Lead Technical Advisor, United Kingdom Government Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero

Closing Remarks
Katsuyuki Sawai, Senior Executive Officer, Daikin Industries

Resources

• Slide deck
• Photo gallery
• Recording