About

Climate Action Plan

ASLA 2019 Professional General Design Honor Award. Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park Phase II: A New Urban Ecology. Long Island City, NY. SWA/BALSLEY and WEISS/MANFREDI with ARUP / copyright Vecerka/ESTO, courtesy SWA/BALSLEY and WEISS/MANFREDI

 “ASLA has developed its first Climate Action Plan in the spirit of great optimism. We envision communities becoming healthier and economically stronger because they have committed to drawing down carbon, restoring ecosystems and increasing biodiversity, and reducing reliance on vehicles – all while ensuring everyone in their community has equitable access to these benefits.” – ASLA Immediate Past President Jeannie Martin, FASLA, and ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen

In 2021, ASLA was a signatory to the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Climate Action Commitment, which was presented at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. This Commitment is supported by over 70,000 landscape architects in 77 countries.
 
The ASLA Climate Action Plan is rooted in three key goals and six key initiatives of IFLA Climate Action Commitment.

The ASLA plan will direct all ASLA climate-related programs and investments through 2025. Goals will be advanced through 21 objectives and 71 actions. Goals and actions will be revisited and updated in 2025 and every five years until 2040.

A companion Climate Action Field Guide for ASLA Members provides best practice guidance, toolkits, and resources for ASLA members and their firms and organizations to advance climate action.

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 increase and protect biodiversity

Goals:

• Practice: Scale Up Climate Positive Approaches
• Equity: Empower Communities to Achieve Climate Justice
• Advocacy: Build Coalitions for Climate Action

Initiatives:

• Carbon Drawdown: Attain zero emissions by 2040 and double carbon sequestration
• Climate Resilience: Enhance capacity, biodiversity, and resilience of liveable cities and communities
• Climate Agency: Advocate for climate justice and social well-being
• Cultural Empowerment: Learn from cultural knowledge systems and practices of care
• Climate Leadership: Galvanize climate champions
• Global Alliance: Advance the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and expand international collaboration

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (PDF)

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN (PDF)

Climate Action Field Guide for ASLA Members

Members can access the 94-page guide and explore resources created by the ASLA Climate Action Plan Task Force.

CLIMATE ACTION FIELD GUIDE FOR ASLA MEMBERS

ASLA Members: Like to get involved? Contact us at info@asla.org. We can connect you with the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee or your chapter chair or representative.