IFLA Climate Action Commitment Statement
The International Federation of Landscape Architects’ (IFLA)’ Climate Action Commitment is a collaborative commitment by 77 international membership organisations and co-authored by IFLA members and the IFLA Climate Change Working Group. It has been created to promote the sector’s critical role in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies, support the Built Environment Communique for COP26 and to ensure landscape architects have a leading voice in climate action decision making.
The COP26 is taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, between Oct. 31 - Nov. 12 to embolden the world’s governments to commit to meeting the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target.
More information available below:
[1] COP26 https://ukcop26.org/
[2] IPCC Global Warming Report https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
[3] The COP26 Built Environment Communique https://cop26communique.org/communique/
[4] The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) https://sdgs.un.org/goals
[5] IFLA World Congress www.ifla2020.com , https://www.iflaworld.com
The time for action is now. As nations meet at COP26, they have the opportunity to commit to higher emissions reductions targets that align with the 1.5°C target.
According to a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), unless there are immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to 1.5°C -- or even 2°C -- will be beyond reach.
Leading built environment industry groups from around the world, including IFLA, are committing to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target, and are challenging governments to do the same through the 1.5°C COP26 Communiqué.
The IFLA Climate Action Commitment is a collaborative commitment by 77 international membership organisations to promote the sector’s critical role in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies.
A committed, international profession
“Landscape architects are very critical in providing solutions for climate change because we stand as a bridge between the natural and built environment,” says Sunday Julius Abuje, IFLA Africa.
Through planning, design and management of cities, regions and natural places, the work of landscape architects protects, restores and enhances global ecosystems; fosters human health and well-being; cools the environment; and draws down atmospheric carbon.
“We need more landscape architects to champion the move towards environmental sustainability and combating climate change,” says Farimah Sadat Jamali, IFLA Middle East.
The IFLA Climate Action Commitment outlines six key areas for the profession to take climate action: supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Justice, Solutions, Collaboration, Reducing Emissions, and Leadership.
IFLA is collaborating with its global membership and related disciplines to define achievable and actionable outcomes to support the profession in delivering on this commitment.