EQUITY COMMITMENT
Architecture 2030 is committed to advancing equity through building sector interventions.
At Architecture 2030, our goal is to address climate change by rapidly transforming the built environment from a major contributor of global greenhouse gas emissions to a central part of the solution to the climate crisis. Our vision is a fully decarbonized built environment with zero emissions from building construction and operations, in which all people have full and equitable access to, and/or ownership of, affordable carbon free energy and safe, healthy communities.
To fulfil these goals and our vision, we must directly address the ways in which the built environment contributes to inequities. We recognize that the built environment is not neutral: racial, ethnic, religious, and economic segregation and displacement are reflected in the development and physical form of the built environment worldwide.
Our efforts to transform the built environment directly address these inequities. Policies and initiatives that mitigate the consequences of climate change can also protect those who are most at risk. Building sector decarbonization policies have the potential to reduce the energy cost burden on low-income communities; drive equitable economic prosperity by creating wealth, jobs, and business opportunities; address gentrification and population displacement; address inequities in housing and exposure to health risks, and empower communities to participate in the planning process.
To support our vision, we are committed to working strategically and collaboratively to do the following:
- Advance building sector solutions that promote equity for vulnerable communities and are informed by the approaches of grassroots groups led by and working on behalf of vulnerable communities.
- Build a social, energy, and environmental equity lens into to the technical assistance we provide our partners to ensure that (i) the data analysis and information we rely upon is community-informed, (ii) our analysis includes information related to inequities and disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities, and (iii) we address bias in our data collection, synthesis, and interpretation.
- Foster an ongoing internal dialogue to understand the ways in which race, gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, and inequity intersect with our work in the built environment.
- Cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment, both within our organization and in our partnerships and professional sphere.
