NAIROBI – 22 November 2023 – The Environmental Rule of Law: Tracking Progress and Charting Future Directions report provides a comprehensive assessment of developments since the release of the First Global Report on Environmental Rule of Law in 2019. Through collecting and analysing data from a survey of 193 UN Member States regarding their laws, institutions, civic engagement, rights and justice, the report highlights the most prevalent aspects of environmental rule of law across countries and tracks progress in addressing the triple planetary crisis. Six cross-cutting findings are highlighted: the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on environmental rule of law, both positive and negative; the recognition and integration of environmental rights has accelerated; there is growing attention to specialised environmental enforcement, particularly in the development and capacity building of institutions; women are champions of environmental rule of law; environmental rule of law is undergoing a technological revolution; and climate change continues to be both a dominant context for environmental rule of law efforts and a driver of actions to advance it. Further, the report makes four recommendations: standardize and track environmental rule of law indicators; develop guidance on environmental rule of law in emergencies and disasters; integrate social justice in environmental institutions; and establish a technology-policy interface. This report seeks to fulfil the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) mandate to promote and advance environmental rule of law pursuant to UNEP’s 2013 Governing Council Decision 27/9, the 2019 United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) Resolution 4/20 which adopted the Fifth Montevideo Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law, as well as the Political Declaration of the special session of the UNEA to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of UNEP.
Sustainable construction is entering a stricter phase in which whole life carbon, embodied carbon and whole life carbon assessment are becoming central tests of credible climate action. The built environment is moving beyond isolated net zero carbon pledges towards integrated systems design, where energy performance, regulation, finance, procurement and life cycle cost are assessed together. For developers, contractors and public clients, sustainable building design now depends on measurable carbon footprint reduction, robust lifecycle assessment and transparent evidence on the carbon footprint of construction.
Climate adaptation is rising rapidly as a core requirement for environmental sustainability in construction. Flood risk, overheating, asset resilience and insurance exposure are reshaping decisions on sustainable urban development, green infrastructure and building lifecycle performance. Net zero carbon buildings and net zero whole life carbon strategies will need to address resilience as well as emissions, proving that low carbon design can protect long-term value, public safety and social legitimacy.
Materials policy is tightening around the circular economy, with the likely withdrawal of the T8 waste exemption for end-of-life tyres signalling tougher expectations for circular economy in construction, end-of-life reuse in construction and resource efficiency in construction. Sustainable material specification will require stronger assurance through environmental product declarations (EPDs), evidence of low embodied carbon materials and credible circular construction strategies. Low carbon construction materials, renewable building materials, green building materials and green building products will face closer scrutiny on real-world performance, not only marketing claims.
Safety remains inseparable from sustainable design. Guidance on passive fire protection for lightweight façades reinforces that eco-design for buildings, low carbon building systems and eco-friendly construction must meet fundamental performance obligations. BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and other assessment frameworks are likely to intensify focus on life cycle thinking in construction, embodied carbon in materials and decarbonising the built environment. The direction is clear: green construction, carbon neutral construction and sustainable building practices must engineer carbon, cost, resilience, circularity and safety together.
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