Join us as we talk with renowned architect Vishaan Chakrabarti about the social, economic and climate benefits of designing greener and more walkable communities.
Option #1
Advocate for changes where you live. Take the time to ask your city if they have parking minimums (and ask them to eliminate them if so) and inquire about if they have building performance standards (and encourage them if not).
Option #2
Give thought to alternative modes of transit— from bikes to walking to electronic bikes. Create opportunities to use your car less.
Forecasts show China's fossil fuel power output may drop for the first time in 2025 in over a decade (even with power demand expected to grow by 6-7.5% this year)
China installed 64% of the worlds wind energy installations in 2024 (75GW) and installed 277GW of solar as well
Sources
China's fossil-fuelled power output may fall in 2025 for first time in decade | Reuters
Renewables 2024 Executive summary | International Energy Agency
Buildings and passenger transport account for roughly 40% or total global greenhouse gas emissions, with buildings making up 38% and transport making up 7%
One third of all American homes exist in the wildland-urban interface, and plenty of cities (like LA) have encouraged building upon these interfaces. In LA, around 80% of the city’s area is zoned for single family homes, encouraging urban sprawl into LA’s fire belt.
Residential housing made with low-carbon materials can reduce carbon emissions 40% compared to housing made with traditional materials.
Cement accounts for around 8% of global CO2 emissions
Biochar production has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 3.7 gigatons per year
Cycling versus driving
Tools for climate friendly communities
Sources
2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction | United Nations
Cars, planes, trains: where do CO₂ emissions from transport come from? | Our World in Data
Climate Data for Action | Climate Watch Data
How suburban sprawl and climate change are making wildfires more destructive | CBS News
Eco-Friendly Building Materials | Green City Times
Exploring the Potential Use of Biochar in Construction | JORD
Embodied carbon emissions of buildings: Taking a step towards net zero buildings | Science Direct
The cycling revolution in Paris continues: Bicycle use now exceeds car use | El Pais
How Parking Reform Is Helping Transform American Cities | Yale Environment 360