“To me, climate change is the single largest issue facing the nation today. We must
make dramatic changes immediately in order to have hope that our quality of life will
not change for the worse over the next decades due to climate change.”
— Elizabeth Weiss, Managing Principal, Gorman Richardson Architects
Elizabeth Weiss speaks for the hundreds of AEC professionals who responded
to our exclusive survey on climate change and who expressed deep concern
about global warming. They want to do something about climate change, but
may not necessarily know how they can make a difference.
In this White Paper, we provide concrete ways in which AEC professionals can
have a positive role in addressing climate change. To that end, we offer:
¡ An analysis of the most rigorous scientifi c study of global warming, the Fourth
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with
particular attention to the built environment.
¡ A review of 34 national, regional, state, and local climate change initiatives
and their impact on the AEC industry.
¡ Practical steps AEC professionals can take to cut greenhouse gas emissions in
buildings using well-known technologies and methods.
We conclude with a detailed Action Plan—eight recommendations and 22
specific action items for AEC professionals and fi rms to implement in their work.
View the BD+C's 2008 White Paper: Green Buildings + Climate Change course
