By ROXANA DELA FIAMOR, Global Policy Lead, USGBC

This week, as government representatives gather in Yerevan, Armenia, for COP17, Oct. 19–30, one word will frame the first global review of the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022: implementation.

Global agreements set the direction. Delivery happens closer to the ground: in national plans, in city halls and in decisions about how land is developed, managed and restored. The built environment is already part of that picture. Target 12 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for more and better urban green and blue space, and industry initiatives show the sector beginning to chart its own pathway. In September, USGBC signed the Nature Positive Buildings, Cities and Infrastructure Pledge, released by the Biomimicry Institute after a year of collaboration with leaders from across the sector.

The built environment sector alone is responsible for nearly 30% of biodiversity loss and 50% of raw material extraction globally—for the latter, the largest impact of any sector. USGBC is committed to advancing development practices that protect and restore ecosystems and the benefits they provide to people and communities.

Our path to nature positive

Our pledge to nature-positive buildings, infrastructure and cities is based on the practical outcomes and accountability built across our rating systems.

LEED v5 places ecological conservation and restoration alongside decarbonization and quality of life as three core impact areas. LEED v5 for Building Design and Construction addresses nature through responsible site selection, habitat conservation and restoration, water stewardship, and sustainable materials. SITES supports the protection and restoration of ecosystem services in landscapes and outdoor spaces. LEED v5 for Operations and Maintenance addresses the ongoing performance of existing buildings, while LEED v5 for Cities, currently in development, brings ecological considerations into city-scale planning and performance assessment. Together, these standards connect nature-related priorities to site selection, design, operations and long-term stewardship.

We continue to strengthen the connection between assessment, design and measurable performance. A LEED v5 pilot credit published in July advances biodiversity on green roofs through diverse, layered planting; wildlife habitat enhancements; and long-term maintenance planning. Our technical teams are also exploring how to evaluate the performance of landscapes and green infrastructure over time, so that the benefits nature brings to a site can be measured as well as designed.

Making incentive reform deliverable

One of the conversations that will matter the most in Yerevan, and that USGBC is following closely, is on new incentives for biodiversity investment. We welcome the call to reform incentives that shape markets made ahead of COP17 by 130 businesses and financial institutions. Drawing on three decades of experience translating sustainability goals into market practice, we see four ways green building and landscape certification can help make incentive reform work for biodiversity and the built environment:

• Incentives need a condition that can be verified. Third-party verification gives governments and lenders confidence that what was rewarded was actually delivered. Many public authorities already tie incentives to green building certifications. As governments develop their incentive reform plans, certification can help direct public investment toward projects that demonstrate compliance with established environmental requirements;
• Public demand can shift the market at scale, and certification makes this workable. When governments build, lease and renovate to verified environmental criteria, they can create demand that encourages supply chains and firms to adopt more sustainable practices. Established certification systems give procurers ready-made, verifiable requirements and give firms a common standard to work to;
• Certifications already reward what reformed incentives should encourage. In some places, tax rules favor new construction over renovating existing buildings. LEED encourages development on previously developed land, protection and restoration of habitat, and improvements to existing building performance, while SITES supports ecosystem conservation, restoration and sustainable landscape management. Reform plans that also review incentives for land development and renovation can draw on these criteria to define what public money should reward;
• Put value on what nature provides. The open call notes that today's incentives underprice nature-related risk, yet nature's value is tangible. Healthy ecosystems on and around buildings reduce physical risks such as flooding and extreme heat, which insurers and lenders increasingly consider when pricing the risks an asset faces. LEED and SITES already provide criteria for implementing and documenting nature-based strategies. The next step is strengthening the evidence of how these solutions reduce risk over time, so their benefits are reflected in insurance and investment decisions, creating a further reason to invest in nature. This is one of the conversations we are keen to explore at COP17, and one we want to advance with partners in finance and insurance.

We will be in Yerevan to join others in making sure the built environment has a voice in these conversations, and to show the role it can play in delivering nature-based solutions.

Our latest fact sheet, “Prioritizing Nature from Sites to Cities,” gives an overview of USGBC engagement on this critical topic. To learn more about how LEED, SITES, LEED for Cities and LEED for Communities support biodiversity, download the fact sheet.

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