All Things Urban

The Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit 2026 (20–22 April, SwissTech Convention Center, Lausanne, Switzerland) convenes stakeholders across the buildings and construction value chain: government officials who develop building policies working alongside academics advancing research, private sector and AEC leaders implementing solutions, financiers mobilising investment, and civil society, bridging the gap between policy commitments and on-ground implementation. Building on the success of the first Global Forum on Buildings and Climate held in Paris in 2024, the Summit is co-organised by EPFL's Centre for Worldwide Sustainable Construction and the UN Environment Programme as host of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction secretariat. With over 500 expected attendees, the Summit will focus on emerging markets and developing economies, where built environment growth will be greatest, driving action to transform the sector into a driver of environmental sustainability through holistic approaches that seamlessly integrate resilience and socio-economic factors. The three-day programme features high-level plenaries with government and industry leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America; the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC) Technical Meeting advancing international cooperation on national climate commitments; academic showcases; and cross-disciplinary workshops addressing implementation barriers in urgent housing needs, self-construction, climate-resilient design, circularity, digital solutions and AI, building electrification, gender equity, and urban planning.

Built environment professionals, policymakers, researchers, urban planners, architects, engineers, financiers, and civil society representatives working on sustainable construction and climate action. Student discount available: 450 CHF. UN agencies and government representatives are exempt.