Climate works

摘要

Architects know that the built environment matters. But they might not realise just how important it is in mitigating climate change. In Victoria, the state is committed - via the Climate Change Act of 2017 - to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It's a goal broadly in line with the Paris Agreement to keep warming under 2 degrees or 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible. Those thresholds are important. At 1.5 degrees we might retain some tropical reefs. At 2 degrees none are expected to survive. Other projected impacts of 2 degrees of warming include more intense heatwaves, droughts and higher sea levels that may make low-lying coastal areas uninhabitable.