Climate Action Engagement and Enablement

Click image to expand, or see the infographic here.

In recent years, climate change has been classified as the biggest threat to all humanity. Globally, buildings and their construction are responsible for roughly 39% of greenhouse gas emissions. Architects have a professional and ethical obligation to take action towards the climate crisis. As the only national voice for architecture in Canada, RAIC is enabling pathways for positive change in this area.

In 2022, the RAIC formed the Climate Action Engagement and Enablement Plan Steering Committee (CAEEP) to develop the RAIC’s Climate Action Engagement and Enablement Plan. This committee, a panel of experts in the built environment, has been working together and consulting with activists, architects and design professionals who centre sustainability in their practices. Their goal of this focused effort has been to pull together recommendations for enabling a better future. At the RAIC Conference on Architecture in Vancouver in May 2024, the CAEEP launched a first view of the Climate Action Plan.

In the plan, we envision a future where the transition to a low-carbon, resilient, and regenerative built environment is rapidly accelerated. We aim to achieve these goals with the help of approaches that will improve ecosystems and human health for present and future generations. Our guiding principles in this mission as we build the plan include:

• The commitment to include reconciliation and respect the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in all our work;
• Emphasizing the importance of incorporating social justice and inter-generational equity in all that we do
• Dedication to fostering holistic health and promoting a regenerative future.

By aligning to these commitments and principles, the RAIC aims to help create a built environment that not only addresses the needs of today but also secures a healthy, equitable, and sustainable future for generations to come.

The Priorities of the RAIC’s Climate Action Plan

When it comes to the climate crisis, the RAIC is focused on defined priority areas that the Steering Committee, experts and wider public have agreed upon. The RAIC will

• Accelerate the transformation of the practice toward a regenerative future
• Advocate boldly to create pathways for change
• Mobilize partnerships and collective action
• Invest in education and research for climate action.

RAIC recognizes the urgent need to address the climate crisis and these themes will help to drive accelerated change in practices, urge effective policies on climate action, collaborative partnerships, and investments in education and research. Our scope is to foster a new architectural generation for a regenerative future, integrating all these efforts with international goals and science-based targets, as well as including the entire community in this process. May this whole strategy carry with it a commitment: a built environment that meets today's needs and delivers a healthy, equitable, and sustainable future for all.

To get a first view of the recommendations of the CAEEP, you can view the infographic here; that outlines our future path forward. The Committee is working together to build the full report for release in late 2024.

RAIC Climate Action Timeline