World Buildings and Climate Forum: architects from around the world are committed to sustainable and responsible architecture

Faced with social and environmental crises, the shortage of resources and materials, the National Council of the Order of Architects is pleading with its international partners for an ambitious political strategy, combining economy and ecology, and using architecture as a lever to improve the quality of living environments.

For Christine Leconte, president of the National Council: “Let us restore its place to architecture as a solution to current crises, all over the world: those of the preservation of planetary resources, the protection of biodiversity and adaptation to climate change. Let's prioritize repairing what already exists and design buildings that serve residents and the environment. As designers of the living environment, architects have a strong responsibility in the ecological and societal transition. Let's change our practices, strengthen our links with all the players in the construction value chain to meet the challenges! »

Joint UIA-CAE-CNOA declaration for sustainable architecture: transforming our practices today to build the world of tomorrow

Architects and representatives of the architectural profession, recalling their multiple commitments made in favor of:

• sustainable development, energy efficiency and carbon neutrality of our built environment;
• of a practice of their profession based on their environmental awareness, their knowledge and skills as well as their interdisciplinary and sustainable conception.

Recognizing that reducing greenhouse gas emissions to near zero by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050 are ambitious but achievable goals.

Aware of the importance of all players in the construction sector value chain working together to influence ethical, socially responsible and sustainable development across the world.

Architects are committed to making architecture an economic lever serving residents and the planet by respecting the following guidelines:

• Prioritize the rehabilitation of existing buildings in a virtuous manner rather than constructing new buildings: transform the use of buildings, mobilize empty offices and carry out resource studies for all projects with a view to reusing materials before any rehabilitation work. Rehabilitating buildings means reducing waste production.
• Decarbonize construction by developing new material sectors. Shift from carbon and energy intensive materials to carbon neutral and renewable materials. Develop eco-materials. Establish a short circuit architecture by locally developing construction materials production sectors based on local resources.
• Prioritize responsible use of land and prevent urban sprawl. Promote more balanced territorial development. Limit the conditions for opening undeveloped land to urbanization in town planning documents, by encouraging cities not to open any new areas without having demonstrated the impossibility of renovating/densifying the existing one. Solicit multidisciplinary expertise involving designers (architects, landscapers) during the development and revision of town planning documents to ensure that they are adapted to best land management practices and to guarantee architectural, urban and environmental aspects of projects.
• Strengthen resilience and adapt our cities and territories to the extreme phenomena that are becoming the new normal. Design buildings that respond to new climatic constraints and take into account the issue of risk to propose adaptation solutions. Stop urbanization in areas subject to major risks (coastal erosion, floods, landslides, fires, etc.).
• Protect and promote biodiversity. Protect agricultural land and natural spaces. Preserve existing forests and massively replant adapted species, sources of biodiversity.
• Highlight the urgent need for a high-quality building culture (Baukultur), which places culture at the center in order to create sustainable and vibrant spaces offering a better quality of life and well-being for all.
• Finance accordingly. Grant public aid to cover any additional costs linked to new sustainable architectural construction techniques during their “start-up” period. Ensure that all tax and public assistance measures are conditional on compliance with quality and ecological standards, supported by in-depth design studies. Modulate the VAT rate of materials according to their carbon index. Support academic research in eco-design and innovative sustainable solutions.

This forms the renewed commitment of architects for a more sustainable architecture in order to transform our practices today and build the world of tomorrow.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.