Australian Architects Declare Climate & Biodiversity Emergency
The building and construction industry is responsible for nearly 40% of the world’s energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. For everyone working in the industry, it is crucial that ecological considerations drive our work. We seek to create sustainable architecture through our projects that has a positive impact on our world.
As a signatory to Australian Architects Declare, we pledge to seek to:
1. Raise awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies and the urgent need for action amongst our clients and supply chains.
2. Advocate for faster change in our industry towards regenerative design practices and a higher Governmental funding priority to support this.
3. Establish climate and biodiversity mitigation principles as the key measure of our industry’s success: demonstrated through awards, prizes and listings.
4. Share knowledge and research to that end on an open source basis.
5. Evaluate all new projects against the aspiration to contribute positively to mitigating climate breakdown, and encourage our clients to adopt this approach.
6. Upgrade existing buildings for extended use as a more carbon efficient alternative to demolition and new build whenever there is a viable choice.
7. Include life cycle costing, whole life carbon modelling and post occupancy evaluation as part of our basic scope of work, to reduce both embodied and operational resource use.
8. Adopt more regenerative design principles in our studios, with the aim of designing architecture and urbanism that goes beyond the standard of net zero carbon in use.
9. Collaborate with engineers, contractors and clients to further reduce construction waste.
10. Accelerate the shift to low embodied carbon materials in all our work. Minimise wasteful use of resources in architecture and urban planning, both in quantum
and in detail.
Architects Declare is an initiative that started in the UK, calling on Architects to advocate for changes in the industry and lead the way in employing sustainable practices. We, along with nearly 900 other Australian practices have made the pledge.
Read more about Australian Architects Declare here.