Abstract
The Cross-Industry Action Group comprises a group of volunteers representing various professional institutes, and member organisations who have come together with a vision to unite the industry and academia, in the effort to upskill and build our collective capacity for climate action.
The urgent and interconnected challenges of climate change, ecological degradation, natural disasters, population growth,
and rapid urbanisation—now with the added layer of a global pandemic—demand a realignment of our focus and priorities as built environment professionals.
This reality also demands that we reassess our industry’s capacity to respond effectively to these challenges—which means we
need to reevaluate the knowledge and skills that are needed, both globally and locally. In this era of rapid change and multi-layered challenges—which sometimes require us to address competing priorities—we must find multi-faceted and holistic responses that are delivered fast and at scale.
It has become clear that a single entity of any kind—be it a professional institute or an academic institution, a membership organisation, or
a private practice—is simply not going to be enough to transform the entire industry globally, and accelerate the transition to a resilient and sustainable future. Collaborative action is essential to consistently provide solutions that are based on know-hows which continually shape and inform the knowledge delivered—whether in academia or
in practice. Such knowledge must be nurtured with insights gained from the collective and collaborative experiences of applying that knowledge in practice.
This is the vision of the Climate Framework initiative—to unite the industry and academia in the effort to upskill and build our collective capacity for climate action. Our mission is to cross-pollinate experiences and expertise across the industry, embracing all disciplines, and creating a shared curriculum framework as well as a platform for holistic climate knowledge. In this united and coordinated effort, our aim is to break down silos and establish common ground, define a common language, and identify the holistic knowledge and skills every built environment professional must be equipped with in order to deliver truly sustainable built environments today and in the future.
The urgent and interconnected challenges of climate change, ecological degradation, natural disasters, population growth,
and rapid urbanisation—now with the added layer of a global pandemic—demand a realignment of our focus and priorities as built environment professionals.
This reality also demands that we reassess our industry’s capacity to respond effectively to these challenges—which means we
need to reevaluate the knowledge and skills that are needed, both globally and locally. In this era of rapid change and multi-layered challenges—which sometimes require us to address competing priorities—we must find multi-faceted and holistic responses that are delivered fast and at scale.
It has become clear that a single entity of any kind—be it a professional institute or an academic institution, a membership organisation, or
a private practice—is simply not going to be enough to transform the entire industry globally, and accelerate the transition to a resilient and sustainable future. Collaborative action is essential to consistently provide solutions that are based on know-hows which continually shape and inform the knowledge delivered—whether in academia or
in practice. Such knowledge must be nurtured with insights gained from the collective and collaborative experiences of applying that knowledge in practice.
This is the vision of the Climate Framework initiative—to unite the industry and academia in the effort to upskill and build our collective capacity for climate action. Our mission is to cross-pollinate experiences and expertise across the industry, embracing all disciplines, and creating a shared curriculum framework as well as a platform for holistic climate knowledge. In this united and coordinated effort, our aim is to break down silos and establish common ground, define a common language, and identify the holistic knowledge and skills every built environment professional must be equipped with in order to deliver truly sustainable built environments today and in the future.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Type | Cross-Construction-Industry Action Group Initiative |
| Media of output | Digital Document |
| Number of pages | 31 |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Dec 2020 |
Bibliographical note
I peer-reviewed this document and I am quoted in the document on p.25“If humans are going to have a chance of reducing the negative impact of the climate
and ecological emergency, we will need to work intelligently, effectively, and crucially, collectively— sharing knowledge and expertise. Like many people I believe that we have
no time to lose. With the construction industry pretty much responsible for 45% of all CO2 emissions, consuming 50% of all mined and harvested raw materials, and creating over 60% of UK’s annual waste (that’s 120 million tonnes), we urgently need a well-informed route map that will help us steer a path towards a positive future where humans exist in harmony with the rest of our host planet. The Climate Framework is exactly what we need.”
Duncan Baker-Brown, Climate Literacy Champion, School of Architecture and Design, University of Brighton & RIBA Council Member
Keywords
- Human factors
- Circular Economy
- Net Zero Carbon
- Ecology
- Water efficiency
- Sustainable Transport
- Climate Crisis
- climate emergency
- Cross-Sector
- Construction Collaboration Extranets