Urgent action required on climate

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called on global leaders to take urgent action to address the climate crisis.

The organisation is responding to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change.

According to the report, human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented and sometimes irreversible ways.

The study, which warns of increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and flooding, and a key temperature limit being broken in just over a decade, has been described as “a code red for humanity.”

RIBA President, Alan Jones, says: “Unsurprising in its conclusions, the IPCC’s report is the latest in a series of damning expert-assessments that highlight the inaction of global leaders to effectively address the climate crisis.

“Responsible for 40 per cent of carbon emissions in the UK alone, the built environment clearly has a major role to play in working towards net-zero.

“Architects have key skills and experience needed to help mitigate the disastrous effects of climate change, and we remain committed to supporting the profession through initiatives including RIBA’s 2030 Climate Challenge.

“With COP26 less than 100 days away, this report serves as a stark warning.

“All global leaders, including those from the UK need to urgently step up and develop holistic country-specific policies, including ambitious regulatory standards that address emissions from the built environment.”