This guidance note is prepared as part of the Secretary- General’s Call to Action for Human Rights in order to increase support from the United Nations on the ground to Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs). It outlines concrete actions which UN Country Teams (UNCTs) may take, including under the lead of the Resident Coordinators as appropriate, in order to better protect EHRDs, in their work to support governments on the ground. This includes – but is not limited to: empowering EHRDs to participate in decision-making, contributing to the protection of EHRDs through the work of the UN, promoting a safe and enabling civic space, strengthening access to justice for EHRDs and engaging with businesses to enhance the protection of EHRDs. The aim of the guidance note is to support UNCTs worldwide who have identified environmental concerns as a priority issue to undertake the following three actions, as part of their broader work on environment, while also encouraging all UNCTs to go further by consulting and using this guide: Engage regularly with civil society groups to understand trends and emerging threats to EHRDs and build safe spaces for EHRDs’ engagement with the UN. Consistently engage with government authorities to raise awareness of the important role that EHRDs play in promoting sustainable development, protecting the environment and preserving biodiversity, and the need to protect them. Publicly recognize and promote, on a regular basis, the positive contribution of EHRDs to sustainable development, environmental protection, peace and stability, and the enjoyment of human rights, including
The sustainable construction agenda is being tested by climate risk, evidence quality and the delivery of public assets that perform over their full lifespan. Satellite data from the Nepalese Himalayas shows almost 300,000 people living in flood-prone valleys where roads, settlements and infrastructure are expanding into areas exposed to flooding and landslides. The finding underlines the environmental impact of construction when sustainable urban development, green infrastructure and climate adaptation are not embedded at the earliest planning stage. Resilience begins with land use, not late-stage mitigation.
The completion of a net zero primary school in Canterbury shows how low carbon design can move from ambition to procurement. Education estates offer a practical route for net zero carbon buildings because standardised briefs, long operating lives and constrained budgets force discipline around sustainable building design, energy-efficient buildings and building lifecycle performance. The project strengthens the case for whole life carbon assessment, life cycle cost analysis and lifecycle assessment as routine tools for public-sector delivery, rather than optional sustainability exercises.
Market signals are becoming tougher for green construction claims. Investor confidence in ESG data quality is weakening, while higher-rated carbon credits are attracting clearer price premiums. Developers, contractors and clients now face rising expectations to evidence whole life carbon, embodied carbon, net zero whole life carbon and the carbon footprint of construction with credible data. Environmental product declarations (EPDs), sustainable material specification, low embodied carbon materials and transparent reporting on embodied carbon in materials will carry increasing weight.
The direction of travel is clear: sustainable building practices must combine eco-design for buildings, low carbon construction materials, circular economy principles and resource efficiency in construction. BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and comparable frameworks will matter most where they support measurable carbon footprint reduction, circular construction strategies, end-of-life reuse in construction and genuine decarbonising the built environment. Vague claims around eco-friendly construction, green building materials, renewable building materials or carbon neutral construction will struggle unless they are backed by robust proof across design, procurement, operation and reuse.
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