News — August 4, 2019
Australian Architects Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency
Leading Australian Architects have declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency. Architects Declare Australia is now calling on registered architects to sign a declaration acknowledging the twin crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss as the most serious issue of our time.
Challenging times demand strong responses. Today, a group of Australia’s acclaimed architects are putting up their hands to be instrumental in creating the future we need. We hope many more practices and individuals will follow their lead
Caroline Pidcock, Architects Declare Australia Spokesperson
The Architects Declare Australia website was launched on Thursday 25 July. Architect and Architects Declare Australia Spokesperson Caroline Pidcock says responding to climate change requires the work of all architects throughout the country. Australia is the 3rd country in the world to launch Architects Declare and the first to include reference to Indigenous peoples.
Architects Declare was first launched in the UK and included winners of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Stirling Prize - David Chipperfield Architects, Foster + Partners and dRMM - as founding signatories.
In Australia, the declaration has 31 founding signatories including 11 Australian Institute of Architects’ Gold Medallists, and Australia’s Pritzker Architecture Prize winner. All signatories of the declaration commit to raising awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies and the urgent need for action amongst clients and supply chains. They also advocate for faster change in the industry towards regenerative design practices and a higher Governmental funding priority to support this.
Two weeks after the launch of Architects Declare in the UK, the American Institute of Architects members voted for a Resolution for Urgent and Sustained Climate Action . One month later, RIBA declared an Environment and Climate Emergency.
To sign the declaration, practices or individuals must be registered with the Architects’ Board in the relevant state or territory, and must provide the email address for their CEO or other senior officer for verification before the practice name is added to the declaration. Australian architects can sign up to the declaration here
