Building for the Future: A Knowledge Product Collection

The Building for the Future series provides a comprehensive vision for transforming the built environment through sustainable, regenerative practices. The series emphasizes that the current building industry contributes nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions, demanding immediate action to reduce both operational and embodied carbon. The collection introduces principles of regenerative development, promoting bio-based materials, circular economy practices, and the design of cities and buildings that are resilient and adaptable to climate change.

1: Climate Crisis and the Role of the Built Environment

This first document emphasizes essential facts and statistics regarding the built environment’s significant role as a major contributor to the climate crisis, delving into the carbon footprint of construction, its effects on well-being, and the need for a transformation in construction practices to ensure a sustainable and habitable future for everyone.

2: How to Fix the Built Environment System

This second Knowledge Product in Series 1, “Setting the Frame,” underscores seven strategies and concepts for reshaping the built environment. Explore topics such as buildings serving as carbon sinks, the potency of nature-based solutions, and the case for reevaluating traditional building practices.

3: The Vision of a Regenerative Built Environment

This third Knowledge Product in Series 1, “Setting the Frame,” introduces the concept of a regenerative built environment. Explore a holistic framework that can steer the transformation towards a climate-positive and inclusive future while respecting planetary limits.

Key Takeaways

• Embodied and Operational Carbon: Reducing emissions from both the operation and material use of buildings is critical. A Whole Life Carbon approach is essential to tackle both embodied and operational carbon.
• Regenerative Development: Moving beyond sustainability, regenerative design restores and replenishes natural systems through carbon-storing materials like timber, bamboo, and hemp.
• Circularity in Construction: The adoption of circular practices is necessary to extend the life cycle of building materials, reduce waste, and optimize the use of resources through reuse, recycling, and minimizing new material extraction.

How It Can Help You

Building for the Future: A Knowledge Product Collection is invaluable for policymakers, urban planners, and architects who are:

• Interested in transforming the built environment to meet climate goals.
• Seeking strategies to implement regenerative and bio-based construction methods.
• Exploring innovative approaches to decarbonize the construction sector while improving social equity and urban resilience.

Key Learnings

1. Whole Life Carbon Approach: Addressing carbon emissions at all stages of the building life cycle, from construction to end-of-life, is essential for long-term sustainability.
2. Bio-Based Materials as Carbon Sinks: Utilizing materials like timber in construction transforms buildings into carbon sinks, significantly reducing emissions.
3. Resilient, Inclusive Cities: Sustainable urban planning emphasizes compact, mixed-use development, integrating nature-based solutions and ensuring accessible, adaptable buildings for all.

Date: 2023