by jbs120109e3 — December 4, 2009—The Australian Institute of Architects, Architecture Canada, the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Commonwealth Association of Architects have signed a call-for-action statement to be delivered at this month’s United Nations conference in Copenhagen in an effort to ensure the forum delivers an ambitious and effective international response to climate change before the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
The statement highlights the importance of the crucial roles architecture and the built environment can play in reducing the climate change impact on the environment. Buildings and cities currently account for almost half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, note the organizations.
The paper covers issues ranging from the pressing need for an international standard of accounting for carbon emissions, to appropriate planning for the unavoidable impacts of climate change, and incentives to drive innovation to ensure greater and faster take-up of sustainable design.
