Giving Compass' Take:

• Climate action strategies need to be built into construction as soon as possible in order to create a climate-resilient world post-COVID-19. 

• How can donors support organizations focused on sustainable buildings and construction? How is your charitable giving focused on strengthening climate resilience? 

• Learn what COVID-19 can teach us about tackling climate change. 

Over the next 40 years, the world is expected to see 230 billion square meters in new construction, according to the World Green Building Council. That’s the equivalent of adding another Paris to the planet every week. And buildings, behind their impassive facades, are veritable carbon faucets: The construction and operation of human-made structures is responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions. That’s more than double the figure for transportation, one of the most commonly cited culprits of climate change.

These numbers show the undeniable link between development and climate change.

And, as the COVID pandemic has demonstrated, the climate crisis tends to exacerbate longstanding public health and social justice issues. The construction industry, for example, has a longstanding problem with gender inequity in the workplace, a problem the pandemic may amplify for many women who are now expected to work and provide childcare. But COVID has also shown that large-scale change is possible and can happen quickly.

Addressing the climate crisis adequately will require problem-solving on multiple fronts. Low-carbon transportation, clean energy, land restoration, and improved agricultural practices will all help. But if the crisis is to be met with the seriousness it requires, climate resilience and equity will need to be built into as much new construction as possible.

“Ultimately, we want all new buildings to be net-zero carbon buildings,” says James Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of BuildX Studio, an up-and-coming design and build firm determined to disrupt the construction industry through radically improved sustainability strategies. It’s an ambitious goal, to be sure, and Mitchell admits it will take time. But his company and likeminded organizations around the world are making huge strides toward meeting this goal. And the chances of succeeding look to be increasing in a post-COVID world.

Read the full article about building climate resilience at Grist.