Underneath the tsunami of uncertainty, physical isolation, and loss of the past last year, I have been thinking a lot about what will happen to our planet when this pandemic era washes past us all. I see some reasons for concern: Divisive opinions on the issue of equity within our country, severe weather patterns, sea level rise, climate fires, and drought to name a few. But I also see some reasons for hope: We have proven that humanity can simultaneously focus on tackling all these pressing, life-threatening issues; we have expanded our networks from regional to national to international participation through the sharpening our virtual meeting skills; and, as we watched a microscopic virus bring us to our knees, perhaps we have even remembered some of the humility of our ancestors. In the mix of hopes and fears that define the present, the new presidential administration represents palpable change for our nation, and our participation in curbing climate change.
This past year, I have discovered another source of hope in the collaboration of a group called the Sustainable Design Leaders (SDL), a national organization of AEC leaders who have committed to share what they know with each other to help our industry more quickly mitigate climate change. Appealing to the Biden-Harris Administration’s initiative to Build Back Better, the SDL group has written a letter asking the government to take proactive steps to address climate change through legislation focused on the built environment. The letter focuses on enhancing Federal building standards, stimulating building reuse and upgrades, promoting healthy housing and resilient communities, electrifying to achieve a carbon-free grid, promoting material health and product transparency, and promoting healthy schools for all. Well-versed in cross disciplinary collaboration, this group is positioned to take on the complex work needed to curtail global warming, but policy change is a necessary component to achieving measurable carbon reduction from our industry.
