Turning ambition into action: housing and climate resilience as the grand challenges post-COP30

As surveyors are increasingly asked to advise on carbon assessments, climate resilience and sustainable housing, the 30^th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30) marks a turning point for the profession as the sector takes steps to turn commitments into outcome-based actions.

The event convened in Belém, Brazil, from 10-21 November 2025. Belém was chosen by Brazil as the host city for its symbolic role as the gateway to the Amazon, highlighting the urgency of a unified climate response, protecting biodiversity and advancing resilience.

RICS' presence ensured that the profession's voice was included in this unified response by representing our members, showcasing their expertise, and promoting how our professional standards drive sustainability in the built and natural environment.

In some ways, the sector became an exemplar with several actions already underway. Whilst progress was uneven across some sectors, and some called COP30 a 'weak' COP, the built environment industry gained real momentum. A landmark achievement was the first ministerial meeting of the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC), which brought together ministers from 48 countries to advance near-zero-emission, resilient buildings as the global norm, setting a precedent for coordinated global policy.

RICS contributed actively to this agenda and hosted two sessions. The first panel focused on harmonising carbon measurement through the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) standard. The standard, developed by an expert working group and influenced by over a thousand member responses, enables a consistent methodology fordecarbonisation to be adopted globally and situates our members at the forefront of these efforts.

The second session highlighted how professional skills and standards can accelerate climate resilience and nature-positive results across projects and portfolios. This directly addresses the challenges faced when advising clients on:

• Climate resilience: how to assess physical climate risks (flooding, heat stress, drought) and integrate resilience into asset strategies
• Biodiversity net gain: meeting regulatory requirements and investor expectations around nature protection
• Portfolio-level sustainability: moving beyond single assets to strategic, long-term decarbonisation pathways
   

Affordable and sustainable housing emerged as a defining challenge at COP30, with many countries from both the traditionally wealthier and industrialised Global North and the traditionally less wealthy and industrialising South expressing their support. This support reiterates that these are global challenges and require a unified response, with actors around the world benefitting from guidance and best practice on solving the challenge.

The concluding Belém Call for Action commits countries to integrate climate goals into housing policy by 2030. This aligns with our work on WLCA, which the UK Environmental Audit Committee recognised as a key industry standard for measuring and reducing embodied carbon alongside operational emissions. These frameworks help members deliver housing that is low-carbon, resilient and socially valuable. Affordable housing is not just a social priority – it is a climate imperative.

Governments will need professionals who can deliver low-carbon, resilient, affordable housing at scale, and WLCA is the tool that makes this measurable. By applying whole life carbon assessment to housing projects, members can help clients and policymakers understand the true climate impact and identify the most cost-effective pathways to net zero. Whether you're a professional in building surveying, residential valuation, development consultancy or project management, your ability to integrate sustainability into housing delivery will be increasingly valued.

Looking ahead, RICS also sees skills as a critical enabler. Our recently launched Skills report identifies gaps in sustainability and digital capability. To address this, the Sustainability advisory MRICS Pilot Pathway offers members a route to lead on ESG and climate strategy at project, portfolio and policy levels. The pathway covers climate action, circularity and social value, with an emphasis on governance, risk and systems thinking and a coordinated approach.

The way forward is to apply WLCA to every major project and integrate nature and resilience through our land standards, including the International Land Performance Framework. Like the unified response conveyed by Belém’s location, using multiple frameworks to develop a holistic approach to the built environment will be key to achieving sustainability targets.

COP30 has set the direction, clearly outlining an implementation- and outcomes-oriented path for delivering a sustainable future. Together, as we continue to shape built and natural environments, we can turn ambition into action and deliver sustainable, resilient and equitable housing and other assets for all.