The Global Alliance for Building Sustainability (GABS), formed by RICS Foundation, held its inaugural meeting in association with the World Summit on the environment in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the end of August.

GABS intends to bring together businesses, professional groups, NGOs and government agencies with a commitment to "accelerate the achievement of the goal of sustainable development in the sectors of land, property, construction, facilities management, infrastructure and development".

One of the aims of GABS is to close the gap between policy intended to make development in towns and cities across the world sustainable and building practices, which often take little or no account of sustainability.

Representatives from more than forty organisations have signed the GABS Charter. They include the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTBI) and the BRE from the UK.

UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher spoke at the inaugural meeting of GABS and welcomed the recognition that the built environment was a major contributor to global warming. He said the initiative could be "a powerful vehicle for delivering World Summit outcomes".

Ministers from other governments and representatives of the United Nations also attended the meeting and Meacher said: "It is important that this is a trans-national, not simply UK initiative. The fact that it is genuinely global is to be admired and supported."