MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday 18 November 2009
Australian architects push
for Copenhagen commitment
The Australian Institute of Architects will deliver 15 strong
‘calls for action’ at next month’s United Nations conference in
Copenhagen in an effort to ensure the forum deliver an
ambitious and effective international response to climate
change.
Announcing the call-for-action statement today, Institute National President
Melinda Dodson said 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.
Developed with Architecture Canada, the Royal Institute of British Architects and
the Commonwealth Association of Architects, 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.
“Our call-for-action statement is designed to encourage governments, architects
and the broader community to act on extensive research which shows the
significant contribution the built environment can make to emissions mitigation -
if comprehensive efforts in energy efficiency are pursued,” Ms Dodson said.
In summary, the calls-for-action items include 10 principles:
Recognition of the fundamental importance of the built environment as central
to the international climate change mitigation and adaptation agenda.
Binding emissions targets and a carbon price to drive market change - a price
on carbon reflecting the true consequences of its use and complementary
government policies and incentives facilitating the competiveness of
sustainable design.
Credible and verified measurement of built environment emissions, being an
international standard of accounting for carbon emissions.
Innovative and pre-emptive design and adaptation of the built environment in
response to unavoidable impacts of climate change.
Partnerships between developing and developed economies to share
information regarding sustainable design and technologies.
Enabling policy - whether market mechanisms, government policy, private
sector initiatives or voluntary action.
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Incentives to drive innovation and reward greater sustainability in the built
environment.
Investment in pilot projects to trial and demonstrate innovative approaches to
built environment models.
Risk management in the face of climate uncertainties - future scenarios,
including the threat of peak oil and sea level rise, should be factored into the
way built environments are conceived and planned.
A concerted program to improve existing building stock to encourage positive
change, including energy efficient refurbishment and retrofitting, as well
sustainable design for new buildings.
Institute CEO David Parken said the call-for-action statement also includes a
blueprint for action outlining the Australian architecture profession’s support for a
range of measures. They are:
Emissions reduction targets of up to 90 per cent on 1990 levels, by 2050
(President Obama’s campaign platform included a pledge to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050).
Requiring the majority of all new buildings in developed countries to be
designed to be carbon neutral in energy use by 2020. Notwithstanding
market and other barriers, the technology, knowledge and expertise to do
this are becoming more widely available.
Helping to establish an international accredited, independent offset
mechanism or framework for the building sector to offset emissions from
the built environment where emissions cannot be entirely eliminated,
particularly from existing stock.
By 2020 a 30 per cent reduction in emissions generated by existing
buildings in developed countries. With the support of the right incentives,
the architecture profession's knowledge and skills will help reduce future
emissions, by applying sustainable design principles to retrofitting,
renovations and extensions.
An electronic clearing house to facilitate capacity building and the transfer
of knowledge skills and expertise as they relate to sustainable design
principles and strategies for the built environment and our cities.
“The world faces a pressing challenge: maintaining, and indeed improving,
standards of living, addressing social equity and economic prosperity,while
eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels and reversing environmental
degradation,” Mr Parken said.
“The Kyoto Protocol, which was the first step towards concerted international
action to limit greenhouse gas emissions expires in 2012. The next 36 months are
crucial, and definitive international action is required to build a new international
climate change agreement. Such a treaty must be science based, equitable,
practical and binding.”
For further details, and the full call-to-action statement, contact:
Trish Croaker, National Media/PR Advisor
T 0408 756 163
E trish.croaker@raia.com.au
Kirsten Trengove, National Media/PR Assistant
T 0439 555 427
E Kirsten.trengove@raia.com.au
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The Australian Institute of Architects is the peak body for the architectural profession, representing more
than 9500 members across Australia and overseas. The Institute actively works to improve the quality of
our built environment by promoting quality, responsible and sustainable design. Visit the Institute at
architecture.com.au.
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