Spanish architects declare a climate and environmental emergency

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This month we presented a grim future for the world's urban centers: the temperature increase of 520 cities by 2050. The warning that "Madrid's climate will resemble Marrakech's today" highlights not only a major concern but an urgent call to action, especially for designers of the built environment.

In a timely response, the Higher Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) issued an institutional declaration of climate and environmental emergency, committing to establish and reinforce measures to halt global warming and transition the country to a low-environmental-impact economy.

The following is an overview of the declaration issued by the CSCAE.

In the document, approved during the July plenary session, architects emphasize the need to recognize the scale of the challenge posed by global warming, describing the adaptation of the built environment to halt it as of "paramount importance."

“To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, as established by the European Union's roadmap, and prevent the consequences of global warming from becoming irreversible, architects must assume our responsibility and the leadership demanded by society, intensifying our action both in the daily practice of the profession and collectively,” reads the declaration.

Stressing that addressing the challenges of the climate threat "is an unavoidable commitment for architecture" and "an ethical requirement," as emphasized by the president of the CSCAE, Lluís Comerón, the Higher Council and the country's Colleges of Architects will implement their commitment in several ways.

First, they declare they will put their "knowledge and experience" at the service of public administrations in general, and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition in particular, to "work in coordination on public policies that provide innovative solutions in the fields of urban planning and building."

Second, and in connection to this, they commit to supporting comprehensive urban transformation policies by promoting legislative and regulatory instruments that establish the proper framework to "accelerate" urban renewal, following the example of benchmark EU countries and moving toward the sustainable territorial models outlined in the Urban Agendas. To highlight the importance of urban renewal, Spanish architects point to UN-Habitat data, which shows that cities generate 60% of greenhouse gas emissions and account for 78% of global energy consumption.

Finally, within the framework of the 2030 Observatory—established to meet the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda and the Davos Declaration—the CSCAE and the Colleges of Architects commit to developing an action plan that will promote their own initiatives and support professional practice to reduce the carbon footprint, focusing on designing more sustainable and environmentally friendly environments. To this end, they will use their network of professional associations to promote the values of environmental, social, and economic sustainability as a common good.