Biodiversity and Climate Action 101 for Landscape Architects

For more than a year, the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee (BCAC) has led the implementation of the ASLA Climate Action Plan.

From 2022 to 2023, the committee’s key accomplishments include:

• Creating:
  • Towards Zero Emission Business Operations: A Landscape Architect’s Guide to Reducing the Climate Impacts of Offices  
  • Collaborating with Industry Partners on Climate Action and Biodiversity: A Guide to Conversations Among Landscape Architects, Vendors, and Product Manufacturers.
   
• Leading climate action presentations to ASLA chapters
• Scaling up the ASLA Climate Action Network (ASLA member only page)
• Developing a COP28 social media campaign
• And much more

Last summer, the committee also developed ASLA's first national survey on the role of landscape architecture products in achieving decarbonization and biodiversity goals.

When asked — what kind of collaborative research and knowledge sharing would best advance the goals of decarbonization and biodiversity protection? — the top response from ASLA members was access to a free webinar series.

On February 20, the BCAC is launching a 9-part webinar series to address a common question from landscape architects — "How do we implement this in practice?"

This series is designed to expand knowledge about how to achieve the vision of the Climate Action Plan.

Our Vision for 2040:

All landscape architecture projects will simultaneously:

• Achieve zero embodied and operational emissions and increase carbon sequestration
• Provide significant economic benefits in the form of measurable ecosystem services, health co-benefits, sequestration, and green jobs
• Address climate injustices, empower communities, and increase equitable distribution of climate investments
• Restore ecosystems and protect, conserve, and enhance biodiversity.

ASLA encourages all members to take advantage of this free webinar series, kicking off in February:

Introduction to Carbon in the Built & Living Environments - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW)
SITES-Specific CE Hours Pending
Tuesday, February 20
1pm EST 

REGISTER  
 
Registration is also available for the full 9-part series.

Future webinar series topics:

March — Decarbonizing Design: Best Practices and Strategies by Design Practice
 
April — Material Selection for Low Carbon Design

May — Reimagining Our Industrial Ecology: Process, Certifications, & Verification

June — Towards Zero Emission Business Operations: How to Reduce the Climate Impacts of Offices

July — Climate Equity and Justice

August — Influencing Federal, State, and City Policies: Success Stories and New Opportunities

September — Urban Ecology (Carbon + Biodiversity)

October — Biodiversity Metrics

More information on webinar dates and speakers will be available in coming weeks.  

This webinar series is underwritten by Landscape Forms.