At COP30 this November in Belém, Brazil, the UNEP Cool Coalition and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) will co-host the Buildings and Cooling Pavilion. Located in the Blue Zone, the Pavilion will showcase integrated solutions for sustainable cooling and decarbonised buildings amid escalating global heat risks and rising climate action urgency.
Backed by Brazil’s Ministry of Cities, the Pavilion continues a collaboration started at COP28 and aims to mainstream sustainable cooling and buildings into national and subnational climate agendas. The 2025 theme, “Creating Resilient Communities with Better Buildings, Sustainable Cooling, and Smarter Materials,” reflects the dual focus on adaptation and mitigation through practical design, policy, and finance.
The Pavilion will present a full agenda of technical sessions, interactive exhibits, and high-level dialogues. It will also feature announcements of new partnerships and flagship publications. Stakeholders can now apply to host a session — either a 90-minute event or a 30-minute pitch — or become sponsors at various tiers. Submissions are open until 30 June 2025.
The programme will highlight two intersecting goals: building decarbonisation, led by GlobalABC through net-zero strategies and material innovation; and sustainable cooling, advanced by the Cool Coalition via refrigerant transition, energy-efficient systems, and access equity.
Belém, located in the Amazon region, underscores the ecological and symbolic weight of COP30. This year marks both the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and 20 years since the Kyoto Protocol, framing the event as a critical inflection point in global climate ambition.
Brazil’s recent appointment of Dan Ioschpe as Climate High-Level Champion reflects efforts to bridge climate policy with industry action. As Chairman of the Board of Iochspe-Maxion, Ioschpe is expected to help link technical implementation to the COP30 agenda.
The event also comes as countries prepare their third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0). With cooling now widely acknowledged as essential for both mitigation and adaptation, the Pavilion aims to embed these solutions deeper into climate planning and investment strategies.
“The Pavilion will be a platform for concrete action that reflects the urgency of our moment and the practicality of available solutions,” said Maliya Lazli, UNEP Cool Coalition Coordinator.
The GlobalABC continues to promote its Chaillot Declaration — now endorsed by over 60 nations — and its latest Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024/2025 highlights the need for accelerated emissions reductions in the sector.
Meanwhile, the Cool Coalition’s Global Cooling Pledge, backed by 72 countries, aims to cut cooling-related emissions by 68% by 2050. This includes commitments to super-efficient appliances, refrigerant transitions, and integrated urban strategies.