The American Institute of Architects' 2030 commitment program aims to transform building design to address climate change by setting standards and goals.
AIA Honolulu member firms AEPAC, AHL, Ferraro Choi, KYA Design Group, MASON and WRNS Studio signed onto the commitment in honor of Earth Day.
The commitment requires participating firms to report their portfolio of work, highlighting the predicted energy use intensity, percentage of renewable energy, and predicted embodied carbon reduction value.
With each report, firms strive to meet the 2030 energy reduction targets of 80%, 90% in 2025 and 100% full carbon neutrality in 2030.
While few meet the ambitious target, the upward trend of net-zero and significant building energy use reduction is heartening and driving a transformation of the sector.
"It's pretty known that the building industry contributes about 40% of the global carbon emissions," said Melani Islam, partner at MASON Architects.
"We need to change how we design and build, right now or climate change will be irreversible; it's not just about designing a beautiful building, but a building that's pono for the community."
The commitment provides standardized tools for U.S. architectural firms to track their progress toward achieving carbon-neutral construction. The initiative started in the 90s but is accelerating efforts through AIA to mitigate the effects of climate change in relation to the built community.
“The impact of climate change is a massive threat to Hawaiʻi's ecosystems and communities. The waters around Hawaii are warming, rainfall is decreasing, sea levels are rising, amplifying the potential harm to our natural and built environment on all islands,” said Todd Hassler, president of AIA Honolulu.
“Our goal is for local firms to heed the global climate change urgency, join the 2030 Commitment to ensure Hawaiʻi's part in working toward a zero-carbon built environment and join the fight for our future.”
