The “Architects Declare Climate & Biodiversity Emergency” movement, which started in May 2019 in the United Kingdom, now has a U.S.-based chapter organized by the Architectural League of New York. This new “Architects Declare” group joins the chorus of voices (note 1) calling for real change in the design and construction industry.
According the U.S. Architects Declare website, architecture firms that sign the statement commit to
- Raise awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies and the urgent need for action among our clients, collaborators, and supply chains. Advocate for the rapid systemic changes required to address the climate and biodiversity crises, as well as the policies, funding priorities, and implementation frameworks that support these changes.
- Act to address the disproportionate impact of these crises on disadvantaged communities and ensure that all mitigation and adaptation efforts address the needs of all people. Employ just labor practices, so that people of all backgrounds can participate in decision-making about the future of the designed environment.
- Include life cycle costing, whole life carbon modeling and post-occupancy evaluation as part of our basic scope of work, to reduce both embodied and operational resource use. Adopt regenerative design principles.
- Upgrade existing buildings for extended use as a less carbon intensive alternative to demolition and new construction whenever there is a viable choice.
- Advocate for detailed disclosure of material provenance and environmental impact by extractors, manufacturers, and distributors, to accelerate the shift to low-carbon, non-toxic, and ethically produced materials. Eliminate waste and support a rapid transition to circular economies.
- Invest in research and technology development, guided by systems thinking, to further these goals, and share tools, data, and strategies on an open source basis.
- Establish climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection, and positive social impact as the key measures of our sector’s success. Work to redirect the mentality of the building sector away from maximizing short-term returns toward durable investment for the long term. Set clearly articulated climate mitigation goals for every project and communicate them to our clients. Change the structure of awards programs to make these criteria the basis for recognition in architecture.
Like the Green New Deal, the Architects Declare statement addresses economic as well as environmental issues—i.e. the second bullet point.
When I first read the Green New Deal, I did not understand why that document addressed economic issues—after all, isn’t global climate change complex enough on its own?
Of course, the answer is the two issues—the economy and global climate change—are inextricably related. For example, examine the recent lessons from France. When the French government proposed a higher gas tax as a way of lowering the country’s carbon emissions, the “Yellow Vest” protests erupted, led by the working class in the French countryside who depend on their cars for daily transportation. For people living on the edge, the gas tax was one imposition too many. Concerning the looming climate crisis, people living day-to-day often see the “distant” future as a luxury (note 2).
Likewise, examine the response of the United States to COVID-19. The stay-at-home orders likely saved lives and helped to relieve an overburdened healthcare system, but the economic toll for families and businesses has been horrendous. As a nation, we should have been able to take proper public health measures without destroying people’s livelihoods, but our political institutions were not up to the task. The federal government should have played a leadership role, but it has been in retreat since the Reagan era and is now rudderless (an issue beyond the scope of this blog post).
The main point is this—the needs of society must the balanced with the needs of the individual, or each individual will fight for himself/herself to the detriment of society. This is something that the authors of the “Architects Declare” statement understand.
US Architects Declare Climate & Biodiversity Emergency
Story from The Architect’s Newspaper
Note 1: The Architect’s Newspaper uses “chorus of new voices” in their headline. I believe the term “chorus” is correct—the last year has seen an important shift in attitude from the architectural community.
Note 2: I wanted to directly quote one of the Yellow Vest protestors, but I read the article months ago and could not find it. This is a paraphrase of that protestor’s statement.
Copyright © 2020 Christopher L. Cosper