Healthy Buildings, Healthy Lives

How GBPN is tackling climate change

By 2050, we’ll have covered 280 billion square metres MORE  of our planet with buildings.

And from their construction to their everyday use, to their eventual demolition, buildings have an enormous impact.

The building sector is responsible for 35% of the world’s total energy consumption, including building operations which represents nearly 55% of all electricity consumption. This contributes nearly 40% of global carbon emissions.

Something needs to change.

We urgently need to build more sustainably. For our planet, and all of us who call it home.

The Healthy Buildings Healthy Lives exhibition

As part of COP26, GBPN has developed the Healthy Buildings, Healthy Lives video exhibition to advance the COP26 Goal of ‘Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats’.

GBPN’s Kate McFarlane says, “The people who are most impacted by climate change, the most vulnerable, often do not have their voices heard. The buildings they live and work in have a significant impact on their health, safety and resilience. 

“Resilient infrastructure includes sustainable buildings. If we invest in sustainable buildings, we avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives, while at the same time improving health, wellbeing and social justice.

“GBPN, in collaboration with Monash University and award-winning videographer and storyteller, David Wardell, have captured the stories from those living in sustainable homes in Indonesia.”

See here for a full report on the urgent need to change the way we build.

Listening to the people impacted by climate change and our actions to tackle it

Healthy Buildings Healthy Lives features the voices of women, children and families living in low-cost sustainable housing in Asia, as well as the people working behind the scenes to make these quality homes affordable and accessible to the lower- and middle-income markets. These families who live in areas that are most impacted by climate change share their experiences of the benefits they have enjoyed after moving into a comfortable sustainable home. These videos provide a platform for the voices of people often overlooked. 

Sustainable buildings benefit all of us, they can help lower carbon emissions and improve the health and energy savings of their residents. 

Improving the thermal comfort of homes improves physical, mental, cardiovascular and respiratory health. 

People who live in thermally comfortable homes take fewer days off work and school.

But sustainable buildings offer even more than that, they offer us an opportunity to take action on climate change on an enormous scale.

Video Gallery

Playlist

Building Better for All – Low Cost Sustainable Housing in Jakarta COP26 GBPN Exhibit

Caring for children’s health, Missel Yunengsih, Daan Mogot Apartments, Jakarta COP26 GBPN Exhibit

Children Can Play Freely, Yuli Armadianti, Daan Mogot Apartments, Jakarta COP26 GBPN Exhibit

Sustainable Buildings Save Money, Piet Haryono, Citra Maja Housing, Jakarta COP26 GBPN Exhibit

Sustainable Buildings Save Money, Yuli Armadianti, Daan Mogot Apartments, Jakarta COP26 GBPN Exhibit