Buildings as a window of opportunity for climate action

December 7, 2020

WorldGBC_BuildingLife

Buildings are responsible for 36% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Almost half of building-related emissions come from the production of materials like cement, steel and glass, and from construction, retrofitting and demolition. We need to transition to low carbon materials and energy production.

#BuildingLife is a project by our new partner, the World Green Building Council. It brings together professionals and stakeholders from across Europe’s construction industry to adopt zero carbon targets and create national roadmaps for reaching them. It will also help set standards for reporting on whole-life carbon emissions to inform investors’ decisions.

Lifecycle of a building

Cristina Gamboa, CEO, World Building Council, says: “We cannot achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and deliver a climate neutral Europe unless we tackle the environmental impacts—both carbon and resource-related—across the entire lifecycle of a building.

“With #BuildingLife we will work with industry leaders and European and national policymakers to fully decarbonise our sector by moving towards a whole lifecycle approach.”

Green housing solutions

It is essential to address the total impact of the building sector and make progress towards the European Green Deal’s aim of a climate neutral Europe by 2050.

Find out more: www.worldgbc.org
#BuildingLife
Download WGBC’s press release

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World Green Building Council
https://www.worldgbc.org/

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  • This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
  • Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
  • 2025 was a milestone year for the IKEA Foundation, as we provided record levels of funding to 128 partners around the world and launched our new strategy dedicated to climate action. Highlights included: 🤝 47 new grants 💶 €404 million in funding 🌍 Almost €3 billion provided since our founding With just 2% of global philanthropic funding going to climate mitigation, our partners’ work has never been more vital. Even in the face of urgent and complex challenges, they are turning ambition into real-world impact. Our mission for the years ahead is clear: The IKEA Foundation will fight global warming with and for the many people by reducing and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions through people-centred solutions. 🔗 Read more about the work behind these efforts - link in bio. #IKEAfoundation
  • 👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
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This is cool — literally! 🧊 Denis Karema, CEO of @sokofreshkenya and a strong advocate for expanding access to solar-powered cooling in Kenya, showed us how these solutions make a real difference in farmers’ everyday lives. By keeping food cold, less goes to waste — a key climate solution as temperatures continue to rise across many regions. We had the opportunity to document how SokoFresh’s cold rooms are used in Kenya as part of our upcoming IKEA Foundation Week campaign, which will focus on food systems. This work is supported by the IKEA Foundation and our partner @claspappliances, who are helping bring renewable energy to smallholder farmers in East Africa and India. SokoFresh is also supported by our partners #PREO and @enviu, as part of a strong nexus solution across renewable energy and agriculture work. A huge thank you to Denis for sharing his inspiring work, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. 📅 More to come during #IKEAFoundationWeek, Autumn 2026. #ikeafoundation
6 days ago
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Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
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Across rural India, women are the backbone of agriculture, balancing farming, food processing, and household care. Yet many still lack access to reliable energy and technologies that can help ease labour and strengthen livelihoods. Through Powering Livelihoods, led by @ceewindia and @villgro_possible with support from the IKEA Foundation, social enterprises are bringing renewable energy technologies to rural communities. Swipe to see how one partner, @rahejasolarfoodprocessing, is helping women preserve produce for longer, reduce post-harvest loss, and earn more from what they grow. As of April 2026, through the Powering Livelihoods-supported enterprises: 🌱 ~46,000+ livelihoods positively impacted, with almost 45% being women ☀️ ~29,000+ renewable energy technology deployments 📍 Across 25+ states and union territories in India Learn more: link in bio #IKEAFoundation
2 weeks ago
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2025 was a milestone year for the IKEA Foundation, as we provided record levels of funding to 128 partners around the world and launched our new strategy dedicated to climate action. Highlights included: 🤝 47 new grants 💶 €404 million in funding 🌍 Almost €3 billion provided since our founding With just 2% of global philanthropic funding going to climate mitigation, our partners’ work has never been more vital. Even in the face of urgent and complex challenges, they are turning ambition into real-world impact. Our mission for the years ahead is clear: The IKEA Foundation will fight global warming with and for the many people by reducing and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions through people-centred solutions. 🔗 Read more about the work behind these efforts - link in bio. #IKEAfoundation
@ikea_foundation
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2025 was a milestone year for the IKEA Foundation, as we provided record levels of funding to 128 partners around the world and launched our new strategy dedicated to climate action. Highlights included: 🤝 47 new grants 💶 €404 million in funding 🌍 Almost €3 billion provided since our founding With just 2% of global philanthropic funding going to climate mitigation, our partners’ work has never been more vital. Even in the face of urgent and complex challenges, they are turning ambition into real-world impact. Our mission for the years ahead is clear: The IKEA Foundation will fight global warming with and for the many people by reducing and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions through people-centred solutions. 🔗 Read more about the work behind these efforts - link in bio. #IKEAfoundation
3 weeks ago
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👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
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👀 We’ve been working on something exciting… Recently, we filmed in Nairobi with Dr Susan Chomba from the @worldresources (WRI) — who also serves on the expert panel of our partner IPES-Food — for our upcoming #IKEAFoundationWeek. It’s a story we can’t wait to share with you. Supporting partners closest to climate-affected communities is central to our new strategy. With Susan, we saw this in action while exploring this year’s IKEA Foundation Week focus: food systems change. She showed us how rethinking food systems, from production to plate and beyond, can help build a more sustainable future, and the solutions that already exist to reduce food waste and lower emissions. We’re so grateful to Susan for sharing her knowledge and passion as an environmentalist, and to our fantastic production team in Nairobi for bringing this story to life. And finally, a huge thank you to the wider WRI team for your partnership and support throughout. 📅 More to come, Autumn 2026.
4 weeks ago
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