A group of leading Australian architect firms have declared a climate and biodiversity emergency.

The declaration asserts that the twin crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss are the most serious issue facing the world today. It recognises that buildings and construction play a major role in contributing to these issues.

Signatories of the declaration have committed to strengthening their working practices to create architecture and urbanism that has a more positive impact. Other key goals listed in the declaration include:

• Upgrade existing buildings for extended use as a more carbon efficient alternative to demolition and new build whenever there is a viable choice.
• 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.
• 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.
• Accelerate the shift to low embodied carbon materials in all our work.

The Australian Institute of Architects has endorsed the declaration.

More information here

AIA endorsement here