RIYADH — The Saudi Green Building Forum (SGBF) has announced that an event it is organizing will be featured in the official program of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2026), taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York from July -16 under the patronage of ECOSOC. Titled “Celebrating the Impact of Volunteerism: Youth Leadership in Advancing Climate Action to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” the event will bring together representatives from civil society organizations, academia, international partners, and youth groups. SGBF Secretary-General Engineer Faisal Al-Fadl said the event’s inclusion reflects growing confidence in the role of Saudi civil society organizations in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthening international partnerships. Al-Fadl explained the challenge today is not making sustainability commitments, but turning them into measurable results. He noted that the built environment sector accounts for around 37 percent of global emissions, while rapid urbanization continues to increase pressure on water, energy, and material resources. He added that the Forum will emphasize, during its upcoming intervention before ECOSOC, the need to shift from efficiency to sufficiency to help close the implementation gap through resource-demand management, conformity assessment systems, and data-driven, outcome-based implementation. The event will also highlight youth and volunteerism as key drivers of SDG implementation and showcase the “Sufficiency First” approach and the Saaf® Conformity Assessment System (Saaf® CAS) as practical tools for measuring and advancing SDG-related impact in the Arab world. The Forum will participate in HLPF 2026 with an official delegation, bilateral meetings, side events, and a specialized exhibition featuring publications, national initiatives, and sustainability best practices. SGBF is a non-governmental organization with Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC and more than 10,000 members. Since 2010, its members and partners have contributed to over 5,000 green projects, supporting sustainable development and strengthening professional and knowledge partnerships in sustainability and the built environment.
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