World Green Building Council and International Union of Architects sign MOU

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and the International Union of Architects (UIA) took a step toward strengthening their working relationship when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Sydney today.

The MOU defines the collaborative relationship between the UIA and the WorldGBC and sees the two organisations agreeing to form a partnership to accomplish shared goals of improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the world's large cities.

The agreement includes the regular exchange of information to promote a green built environment worldwide, in terms of architectural and urban design and management and to contribute together to creating a sustainable and carbon neutral society.

The MOU also states that the UIA and the WorldGBC will facilitate contact between all Union chapters and members and the relevant national green building councils to encourage further collaboration.

"This Memorandum of Understanding is not just a once a year thing. It is intended to set forth a long-term working relationship between the parties," said WorldGBC Chairman Tony Arnel.

"We know that the built environment has a pivotal role to play in greenhouse gas abatement, and is capable of delivering carbon emission reductions more readily and more cost-effectively than any other sector.

"The WorldGBC and the growing international network of green building councils have as their mission to accelerate the transformation of the built environment towards sustainability."

A business-led coalition, the WorldGBC is leading the movement that is globalising environmentally and socially responsible building practices. Its objective is to rapidly build an international coalition that represents the entire global property industry.

For further information on the World Green Building Council, visit www.worldgbc.org

Contact: Lyndon Humphrey or Stuart Evans
+ 61 3 9618 9301/+ 61 3 9618 9297

About the World Green Building Council
The WorldGBC is rapidly building an international coalition that represents the entire global construction industry. Collectively, these nations represent 50% of global construction activity, and their councils touch more than 10,000 companies and organizations.

The WorldGBC provides an international forum and champions proven tools that significantly accelerate market transformation from traditional, inefficient building practices to new generation high-performance buildings, provide "branding", and transform the skills and knowledge of the industry as a whole. This is a critical response strategy for cities and countries worldwide to their national and international commitments to reduce carbon emissions and redress other environmental impacts.

The WorldGBC is a business-led coalition. Green building councils are consensus-based not-for-profit organisations with no private ownership and diverse and integrated representation from all sectors of the property industry. They see business as a powerful solution provider and are working to improve frameworks that harness the ability of business to deliver.

About the International Union of Architects
The International Union of Architects (UIA) was founded in Lausanne (Switzerland) on 28th June 1948, to unite the architects of the world without regard to nationality, race, religion, or architectural doctrine, and to federate their national organisations.

From the 27 delegations present at the founding assembly, the UIA has grown to encompass the key professional organisations of architects in 124 countries and territories, and now represents, through these organisations, more than 1,300,000 architects worldwide.

Over time, the UIA has become an accomplished non-governmental organisation, an incomparable professional network of architects that reaches all continents.