Climate Action & Sustainability

We offer sustainability consulting services and climate action strategies for developers, building owners, and tenants. Focusing on certification, strategy, and analytics, we help organizations and communities achieve carbon targets and sustainability goals.
The majority of the buildings that will exist in 2030, and even in 2050, have already been built. From a climate action point of view, the architect’s function has as much to do with breaking new ground as it does with managing, altering, and evolving what we already have.
—Anthony Brower, Climate Action & Sustainability leader
INSIGHTS
CLIMATE ACTION & SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN TRENDS TO WATCH

Extreme weather events are driving demand for resilient design at scale.

The rapid acceleration of climate change is emphasizing the need for immediate design responses at the city and building scale to cope with extreme weather such as floods, storms, and heat waves. Architects, developers, and urban designers should embed resilient design at the outset of projects and pilot solutions that can be scaled over time.

 

Companies will increasingly incorporate social sustainability into their business strategies.

Social sustainability is the goal of creating a more equitable and just society, including factors such as fair labor practices, human rights, and community engagement. Beyond the narrow focus on net zero carbon, companies can take a holistic action-based approach to sustainability that considers their environmental and social impact.

 

Policy requirements and stakeholder expectations will place greater focus on transparent carbon reporting.

Investors, occupiers, and other stakeholders are demanding greater transparency from companies about their environmental impact. Coupled with tighter disclosure regulations from governments, carbon output reporting will no longer be voluntary. To create a robust carbon reporting strategy, organizations should define clear, output-driven sustainability goals and metrics tied to their business strategy.

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Design Forecast 2024
Design Forecast identifies the trends and design strategies that are shaping the future of the human experience and the built environment. We provide strategic advice, research, and projects from all 33 of Gensler’s practices to help clients prepare for transformational times.
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CLIMATE ACTION & SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP
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