The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has been granted observer status for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), to be held from 30 November to 12 December at Expo City, Dubai.

The institution, representing more than 134,000 professionals working in the built environment industry globally, has been granted Blue Zone access at the United Nation’s premier climate change conference. The Blue Zone is open to accredited party and observer delegates. It hosts the formal negotiations across the two weeks of the conference, the World Climate Action Summit, the country pavilions, presidency events and hundreds of side events, including panel discussions, round tables, and cultural events. Observer status places RICS and its representatives at the heart of the event with crucial access to the key influencers of global climate change policy.

The event is split across several thematic days, including an urbanisation day, which will be used to rally global and local stakeholders to mobilise resources and solutions to decarbonise the built environment and investing in nature positive infrastructure. RICS is also working with partners behind the scenes to increase the role of the built environment at the conference.

According to the UN, the built environment contributes approximately 40% of global carbon emissions, making the industry a critical partner for achieving net zero goals. RICS, as a key representative of the industry, recognises its duty to spearhead this work and provide tools for skilled professionals to meet these goals, which up to now have not been met. RICS is developing several revolutionary new standards, guidance, and toolkits to assist the industry in supporting climate change mitigation. This includes forthcoming global guidance on Whole Life Carbon Assessment.

The guidance enables developers to track the carbon emissions of a project and the asset itself throughout its lifetime so that industry professionals can properly quantify the carbon footprint and plan accordingly.

RICS chief executive, Justin Young, said: “It is excellent that RICS will be present at the beating heart of the upcoming COP28 conference in Dubai. By granting RICS Observer Status, the United Nations recognises the importance of including the built environment – and RICS as a representative – in the global conversation on climate change.

“According to the UN, the built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of all carbon output and 50% of all extracted materials. RICS will meet with representatives from the UN, delegates from governments, corporations, and non-profits, to express the views and aims of the built environment sector and communicate its work to promote sustainability and achieve net zero.

“I am especially pleased with this recognition by the UN, as it demonstrates the leadership role that the institution has in steering the built and natural environment towards decarbonisation. I’d like to thank the RICS staff and our partners for their hard work in making Observer Status a reality for the good of the profession and the planet.”

RICS president elect, Tina Paillet, said: “Our built and natural environment is both the background upon which the current climate crisis plays out, as well as one of its most harmful and impactful constituents.

“RICS in its capacity as a leading professional body of the built and natural environment aims to steer our sector towards decarbonisation, towards a more resource-efficient modus operandi, towards better protection of our planet’s resources and biodiversity, and towards a more equitable and inclusive society.

“By accrediting RICS with official observer status for COP28, the United Nations has recognised the importance of our sector in climate change and the influential role RICS brings to the table in these crucial multi-lateral negotiations.”