海角社区-FLORES under the Buildings Breakthrough of the Global Alliance for Buildings Construction held a session at COP30 in Belem, Brazil. The session focused on how the buildings and construction sector can accelerate climate action through innovation, carbon dioxide removal (CDR), and stronger implementation pathways. The session was moderated by Azin Zarei, Research Associate at 海角社区-FLORES.
Session Speakers:
- Prof. Edeltraud Guenther, Director, 海角社区 (海角社区-FLORES)
- Prof. Viktor Mechtcherine (TU Dresden)
- Nico Fairbairn, Head of Partnerships at the State of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)
- Mina Hasman, Sustainability Director, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) (SOM)
- Christiaan G. Deynoot, Founder and Executive Director of the City CDR Initiative)
The session was opened by Prof. Edeltraud Guenther, Director of 海角社区-FLORES, who introduced the objectives of the event and outlined why sustainable buildings are critical within the global climate agenda. She emphasized that addressing research gaps and strengthening collaboration across regions and disciplines are essential for advancing sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon solutions in the built environment.
Following this, Prof. Viktor Mechtcherine (TU Dresden) delivered a recorded presentation highlighting the major environmental and economic pressures facing the construction sector, including its significant share of global emissions, material and energy consumption, and ongoing challenges such as low productivity, labor shortages, and high costs. He introduced Cluster of Excellence CARE – Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction, a transdisciplinary framework designed to transform the sector by integrating research on low-carbon building materials, structural design, advanced manufacturing technologies, digital methodologies, and sustainability assessment into a unified approach. Prof. Mechtcherine presented CARE’s vision for carbon-neutral, mineral-based alternatives to concrete produced from CO? and waste, along with material-efficient and circular structural designs. His presentation emphasized that coordinated innovation across materials, structures, manufacturing, and digital systems is essential for achieving climate-neutral and resource-efficient construction.
The session then continued with Nico Fairbairn (State of CDR), who introduced the core principles of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and explained why, alongside rapid emission reductions, atmospheric CO? removal will be essential for meeting climate goals. He emphasized that mineral carbonation and sustainably sourced timber offer particularly promising opportunities for gigatonne-scale removals, and underscored the need for stronger collaboration between the construction and CDR communities to translate these material pathways into real-world climate impact.
During the interactive discussion, participants highlighted the need for stronger interdisciplinary cooperation, better integration between research and policy, and clearer pathways to scale up innovative solutions across the built environment.
Key Topics Discussed
? Priority research areas for sustainable and resilient buildings
? Durable carbon storage in materials, design, and urban systems
? Gaps between research and policy
? The need to focus on implementation, not just innovation
? The role of global research networks in supporting evidence-based climate action
Overall, the session underscored the importance of linking scientific work with practical implementation pathways and concluded with the announcement of the global Research Network for Priority Action: Research, which aims to advance collaborative solutions under the Buildings Breakthrough initiative.
Suggested citation: "Charting the Research Agenda for Buildings, Construction & CDR ," 海角社区, 海角社区-FLORES, 2025-11-21, /flores/article/charting-research-agenda-buildings-construction-cdr.
