RIBA leads 23-strong coalition urging government to put retrofit on COP31 agenda

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has led a coalition of 23 built environment organisations and businesses in a letter urging the government to make building retrofit a priority at COP31, the United Nations climate summit under way in Antalya, Türkiye.

RIBA published the letter on 10 November, a day after the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero set out the UK's priorities for the conference, which runs from 9 to 20 November.

The letter calls for a long-term national retrofit programme alongside stronger international action to reduce emissions from buildings and construction. According to RIBA, the government's statement omits the need to retrofit what the institute called the UK's "woefully energy inefficient housing stock".

Chris Williamson, RIBA President, said: "At home, a long-term retrofit programme could cut emissions while supporting lower bills, better health and skilled jobs."

The case made by RIBA

RIBA said 85% of the current UK housing stock is expected to still be in use in 2050. It said 19% of UK carbon emissions come from heating buildings, and 77% of that figure comes from heating homes.

The institute cited research suggesting that upgrading all homes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C could deliver about £40bn in benefits to the UK economy in the coming decade, with further benefits of up to £100bn over the following decade.

The letter also addresses embodied carbon. It argues that clear, consistent whole-life carbon standards would give businesses greater certainty, support investment in low-carbon products and technologies, and help strengthen UK supply chains. In its COP31 briefing, RIBA said buildings and construction account for about 37% of global energy-related emissions.

Saul Humphrey, CIOB President, who signed the letter, said: "A long-term commitment to retrofit, alongside stronger action on whole-life carbon and low-carbon construction, can reduce emissions, drive responsible growth, create skilled jobs and strengthen communities."

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) announced Humphrey as its president for the 2026/27 term on 24 June 2026, succeeding Paul Gandy FCIOB. CIOB said at the time that he planned to use the presidency to champion climate literacy, resilience and sustainability across the profession.

The government's position

The government's COP31 page, published on 9 November, says the UK's priority at the summit is to uphold the Paris Agreement made in 2015. Its listed aims include speeding up the global shift to clean energy and electrification.

The page does refer to some building measures. It mentions a £710m Renewal and Retrofit Programme for school buildings, funding for households to install air-to-air heat pumps, and a requirement that new residential buildings be designed to reduce unwanted solar heat and allow excess heat to be removed. It does not set out a programme for retrofitting existing homes.

Background

The letter builds on positions RIBA has held for some time. Its Greener Homes policy note urged the government to bring forward a National Retrofit Strategy, recommended a sliding scale of stamp duty capped at £25,000 and linked to energy efficiency, and called for a clear long-term timeline for raising Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the rented sectors.

RIBA holds official observer status with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which allows it to attend the COP summits.

What happens next

Williamson is due to speak at a COP31 roundtable on digital twins on 13 November, organised by CIOB, BAM and Resilient Cities Network. On 14 November, Mina Hasman will take part in a panel discussion organised by RIBA with the American Institute of Architects.

The conference closes on 20 November.