Architects play a key role in the climate emergency, as nearly 40 percent of global energy related greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to the built environment. Architectural design, specification, procurement, and construction decisions not only have lasting consequences for our natural environment, but also our own wellbeing, so AIA UK is committed to helping our members create a more equitable, healthy, and environmentally positive world for all. We do this through a range of approaches:

TALKS & EVENTS

AIA UK hosts a range of talks and events with a variety of industry experts and innovators currently navigating the complexities of designing and building in the age of the climate emergency. Please check out our event calendar below, which includes links to recordings of most prior events enabling members to earn CPD credits too. Please do email us with suggestions for future speakers at <sustainability@aiauk.org>.

UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCES

AIA is honoured to be an active participant in the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) as an official NGO Observer, ensuring that the vital roles of architects and architecture are always integral to internationally agreed action on the climate. AIA UK has played a key role in the AIA’s participation in the annual COP; our Founding Sustainability Chair Dr Mark E Breeze AIA was a member of the first AIA COP delegation, and sat on the AIA COP27 Working Group to help further develop our approaches.

CLIMATE ACTION COMMUNIQUÉ

AIA UK is proud to be a signatory to the 1.5º Climate Actions Communique developed by Architecture 2030 at COP26. We call on all sovereign governments to set ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions, and 2030 emissions reduction targets, so as to meet the 1.5ºC Paris Agreement target.

UPCOMING Climate Change EVENTS

PAST Climate Change EVENTS

Professional Resources

• AIA Climate Action

• RIBA Sustainability

• LETI (Low Energy Transformation Initiative)

• Carbon Brief

• Architecture 2030

• Committee on Climate Change

Guides & Goals

• AIA 2030 Commitment

• AIA Climate Action Plan

• AIA Healthier Materials Protocol

• RIBA Sustainability Guide

• LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide

• LETI Embodied Carbon Primer

• UN Sustainable Development Goals

• UK Net Zero 2050 Pathways

• Achieving Zero

• Mindful Materials

Assessments & Standards

• BREEAM

• PassivHaus

• LEED

• WELL

• SKA

• ZERO Code

• Fitwel

• Personal carbon footprint calculators: Simple and Detailed

Software & Plugins

• CoveTool (daylight, energy, water and cost simulation plugin)

• Tally (material environmental impact calculator plugin)

• EC3 (embodied carbon material calculator)

• OneClickLCA (carbon/ life-cycle analysis software)

• EDGE (operational and embodied energy design tool)

• CarbonCLARITY (embodied carbon software suite)

• Transparency Catalog (HPDs and EPDs database)

• Beacon (embodied carbon structural engineering plugin)

• Concrete Calculator (concrete life cycle assessments calculator)

AIA Learning Resources

• Materials Matter certificate program

• Resilience and Adaptation certificate program

• 2030 Commitment certificate program

Please note that AIA UK does not endorse or verify any of the above links, products, or services, but provides them in no particular order for general information purposes only.