For nearly two decades at Architecture 2030, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Ed Mazria and a passionate handful of dedicated staff and Senior Fellows. Together, we’ve mobilized architects, planners, engineers, and builders worldwide to radically reimagine the built environment, transforming it from a major source of emissions into a powerful climate solution. We’ve equipped professionals and institutions with tools, education, and policy frameworks to reduce emissions and grow capacity towards climate-positive, resilient communities. Though we are a small organization, our outsized impact has been undeniable – in large part due to the countless practitioners and partners that have adopted the 2030 targets as their own, dedicating their careers and personal time to relentlessly advancing these goals in policy and practice. Their commitment is the force behind our influence.

We are in unprecedented times. It is understandable to feel overwhelmed by the compounding challenges we face. 2024 was the hottest year on record, with average temperatures 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the critical 1.5°C threshold; we have seen an average decline of 73% in monitored wildlife populations; six of the nine planetary boundaries have been crossed; and climate-related disasters are now regular occurrences, not some abstract plight pending for future generations. Immediate economic uncertainty now also hinders our aspirations for the future.

Yet there is reason to hope and cause to act. 

We have achieved substantial reductions in building operating emissions, despite perceptions of stagnated progress. Reducing embodied emissions from building materials and construction is now entering the mainstream of practice and policy.

To accelerate progress, we must now embrace whole life carbon decision-making, as well as a more holistic approach to the built environment considering planning, infrastructure, and landscapes. Bringing this bigger picture into focus for the design community will provide new challenges and new solutions. Radical collaboration – cross-organizational and interdisciplinary – is crucial. Just as uniting the efforts of architects, landscape architects, planners, and engineers is essential in complex projects, it is now imperative for climate action.

“This is a huge moment for Architecture 2030 and its very large sphere of influence. Ed was awarded the AIA Gold Medal for his enormous accomplishments. The import of those accomplishments demand they continue with full force and conviction. The agenda is too imperative, the role Architecture 2030 fulfills is too crucial.” – Carl Elefante, FAIA, FAPT

The year 2030 remains a critical milestone in the climate emergency. Our collective successes or failures by that date will have dire consequences on the number of people affected by climate-related crises worldwide, and will set the speed and slope of an even steeper emissions phase out. We must accelerate measurable progress across the built environment – stay on course, close the gap, and deliver on the 2030 targets. This is our five-year sprint, and an opportunity to show what united, design-led climate action can accomplish.

Whether you’re recommitting or just starting the conversation, Architecture 2030 needs all levels of engagement. We are asking for your support, both by adding to our capacity and by underwriting our activities. We will be enlisting a new network of Partners in Practice to fill Architecture 2030’s ranks as we influence policy, shape practice, and drive measurable progress across disciplines and regions. We are also calling on firms and individuals to support Architecture 2030 financially in these uncertain times. As an Underwriter, you can help accelerate the global shift toward a zero-carbon, climate-positive built environment. Please make your commitment today and join the firms leading real change.

Let us act together as we approach this critical milestone and set our course for the next phase of climate action.