Building Performance Knowledge Community

It is consistently a privilege to collaborate with our esteemed partners, the C40 Cities, as we strive to create impactful content that contributes to building a more sustainable and resilient future. We are pleased to share the link to the report with you: Link 

For the Built Environment Day at COP28 today, C40 launched its https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.c40knowledgehub.org%2fs%2farticle%2fAchieving-a-decarbonised-and-climate-resilient-built-environment%3flanguage%3den_US&c=E,1,t8U0KDZuplJyjLsgo4DtOOoG11pwNxJ_jYPpHYZsJ23uNhon4KAM6QUVuRbj2sZ4a0u7DA6_QQ6i7Jf29dMcklf5kyeZghHPLk2T_dmv9ztWJU2yrZ--yQ,,&typo=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strategy paper on Achieving a Decarbonised and Climate-Resilient Built Environment, endorsed by the https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fbuildingtocop.org%2f&c=E,1,6S-wEkL2S900Ra7fzRIg2wv1r8h0HFhxIobcVGbhp9CrDeZ_6m4OfJXCN-cd4z5psHBnCu9A9Uur5fZu7pZxHyJiH2XVwVDOJjz6ZghC3UQ,&typo=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Building to COP coalition and enriched by the contributions of experts and leaders.

Why is it important?

• The built environment is where our lives unfold in cities – it is our homes, offices, schools, hospitals, streets, parks, and the electric lines, sanitation systems and much more that sustain it. 

• Meant to protect and serve us, the built environment contributes to the urban divide and the climate crisis, whose impacts are not a future problem – they’re happening now.

• The built environment is at the frontline and disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable:

1. It contributes massively to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resource consumption, pollution and waste streams.

2. It contributes and amplifies climate risks, for instance by worsening flash floods and the urban heat island effect.

3. It’s the first impacted by loss and damage with utterly inequal and deadly impacts on communities and workers.

• Measures taken to reduce the built environment’s GHG emissions can inadvertently increase climate stresses, and interventions solely focused on adaptation can generate even more emissions. Actions to build resilience and equity must accompany the charge toward net zero. 

=> Cities and the sector must revolutionise their approach to the built environment to reduce their emissions and improve their resilience to ongoing and future climate risks. 

=> They must adopt more integrated mitigation and adaptation actions when tackling the unequal climate impacts of buildings, infrastructure and sites.

The https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.c40knowledgehub.org%2fs%2f%3flanguage%3den_US%26gclid%3dCjwKCAiA1MCrBhAoEiwAC2d64YC2FUH0EgeNH0G7pxPd5kQvR4uULbM77Xvbt_i4L4jT4ht2Z7UoRhoCsXAQAvD_BwE&c=E,1,m8wIVG1CtHoYE25K3S9ccElz3MqXJLeLPtkxqsmO-VwQkBP8ncLPstaW7oeytpnhX94T5PXVRKSIOSJ7sXTuKLUKEuR1CUTd0M0lYfS-ph8gciVx&typo=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C40 strategy paper on Achieving a Decarbonised and Climate-Resilient Built Environment:

• outlines why and how cities need to tackle the emissions and climate related impacts of the built environment hand in hand; 

• offers an integrated framework to address the contribution of the built environment to emissions and climate risks through the lens of three critical elements – location and site choices, design choices and materials choices – or put in a different way, the ‘where’, ‘how’ and ‘what’ of shaping the built environment;

• provides tangible solutions, city action examples and 6 policy recommendations to implement integrated actions..

Share your thoughts, join the movement and spread the word.

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Luz Toro Intl. Assoc. AIA. CPNAA
Sr. Manager, Resilience
The American Institute of Architects
Washington, DC
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