For the cities, infrastructures, housing systems and wider urban conditions that define how we live, these failures represent more than political stalemate. They shape our direction of travel and the very future of sustainable development. 

“The built environment is where global commitments meet local realities,” says Catalina Turcu, Professor of Sustainable Built Environment at the UCL Bartlett School of Planning. “When multilateral governance weakens, the effects cascade down into how we plan, design and build.”

A year of faltering agreements 

Over the past year, four major environmental negotiations have stumbled. Talks on a global treaty to curb plastic pollution collapsed. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) faced unprecedented delay in agreeing the scope and timeline for its Seventh Assessment Report. The International Maritime Organization’s net-zero roadmap was not agreed, and governments failed to approve the Summary for Policymakers for the Global Environment Outlook (GEO7). 

“These are not isolated events,” argues Catalina. “They point to a deeper crisis in multilateral environmentalism precisely at a time when the world faces accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and land degradation.” 

Why global environmental talks matters for cities and infrastructure 

The built environment accounts for around 34% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions and one third of global energy demand (IEA, 2024). Moreover, global floor space is expected to double by 2050, with half of that growth taking place in emerging economies that lack basic energy codes.  In this context, faltering environmental agreements threaten to stall global progress toward decarbonisation but also the wider transformation of our unsustainable urban systems such as energy, food, materials and waste. 

Conference of the Parties (COP) declarations, IPCC assessments, and Global Environment Outlook (GEO) reports act as the scaffolding of global environmental governance. Together, they shape policy targets, financing mechanisms, and regulatory standards from net zero building codes to urban adaptation plans. 

Take COP30, for example. The summit prioritised climate adaptation and resilience, pledging to triple adaptation finance to $120 billion annually and urging cities to adopt climate-resilient planning principles. “But despite this momentum,” Catalina notes, “leaders once again sidestepped the central question of phasing out fossil fuels and halting deforestation issues deeply tied to how cities consume energy, land and materials.” 

The IPCC’s forthcoming Special Report on Cities could prove pivotal, spotlighting urban areas as both key drivers of climate risk and main agents of climate action. Similarly, GEO assessments aim to connect environmental and social systems through integrated foresight to drive sustainable transformation. Yet without agreement on its Summary for Policymakers, GEO7’s findings risk losing political traction on the ground. 

“When the science-policy bridge weakens,” Catalina warns, “we not only lose evidence-based direction, but we also lose trust. And without trust, there is no meaningful transformation in the built environment.” 

Rebuilding trust, locally and globally 

There is a growing recognition that the built environment sector must not wait for perfect global consensus. Instead, it can lead by example by working across disciplines, scales, and sectors to maintain momentum. 

Researchers and universities can play a vital part by engaging at the science-policy interface. “Our research must not only generate knowledge but also build trust and generate solution ideas,” says Catalina. “Universities should train scholars in science diplomacy and recognise this as core academic work.” 

Built environment practitioners – from architects and engineers to planners and consultants – can embed sustainability directly into design and procurement processes, turning macro principles into tangible local outcomes. Institutions and industry bodies, likewise, can strengthen science-policy linkages through partnerships, dedicated centres, and regional coalitions capable of advancing sustainability when global talks falter. 

Beyond crisis: seizing opportunity

Ultimately, resilience and adaptability should guide future practice and education in the built environment. Catalina sees this not as an obligation, but an opportunity. 

“We must reframe sustainability as a driver of equity and, human and planetary health and well-being,” she concludes. “The transformation of our current unsustainable systems is not a burden to bear, it’s the foundation of a better, fairer and more sustainable built environment for all.”