Blogs

By Daniel Overbey, AIA , NCARB, LEED Fellow (BD+C, ID+C, O+M), WELL AP and Jacob Werner, AIA , LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, LFA, CPHC | AIA 2030 Commitment’s 2026 Co-Chairs Since the AIA 2030 Commitment launched in 2009, the program has become the architecture profession’s primary scale of progress for reducing the built environment’s carbon emissions. The Commitment began by creating a shared framework for measuring the energy performance of design projects at the portfolio scale . Over the past 15 years, that framework has done its job . Over ...

The COTE® Super Spreadsheet has been a useful tool for architects seeking to measure and communicate design excellence. Developed in 2016 as part of the COTE Top Ten Toolkit, the spreadsheet provided a structured, quantitative way to standardize and evaluate project performance across the COTE Top Ten Measures. COTE created the toolkit--a combination of narratives, clear metrics, and a handy calculator to make those conversions--with the hope of not only making the process of submitting to and reviewing the COTE Top Ten Awards easier, but also to build the case for the real, quantifiable impact these winning projects had. When the AIA adopted the COTE Top ...

By: Daniel Overbey, AIA, and Jacob Werner, AIA As Co-Chairs of The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2030 Commitment Working Group, we are excited to highlight the growing success of the Commitment, as evidenced by our most recent reporting. We are looking ahead to 2026 with excitement and hope, while still acknowledging that there is still much work to be done if we are to realize the Commitment’s full potential. Many of the technologies required for deep carbon reduction are just coming to maturity, and the design tools for robust analysis and optimization are continually improving. We look forward to working with the hundreds of firms that lead ...

By: Jesse Walton, AIA and Daniel Overbey, AIA The 2030 By the Numbers: AIA’s 2030 Commitment Reporting Year 2024 Summary has officially been released. This year’s data shows significant increases in both quantity and performance—a hopeful sign for signatory firms. Readers will also note that for projects in reporting year 2024, there was a notable jump to a 56% pEUI reduction—the highest pEUI percent reduction in the program’s 16-year history—and a six-percentage point increase from the infamous 50% pEUI reduction plateau experienced since 2019. What accounts for this big step forward? Our team has been asking ourselves this ...

By: Jesse Walton, AIA and Daniel Overbey, AIA The 2030 Commitment Made Its Presence Known at AIA25 The AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2025 took place June 4-7 in Boston, Massachusetts. This year’s conference included over 450 sessions, covering a broad and comprehensive range of topics impacting the profession today. The four days of programming included a range of peer-to-peer engagement opportunities dedicated to advancing AIA’s strategic initiatives related to climate action, sustainability, equity—including several sessions and forums focused specifically on AIA’s premiere climate action initiatives: the 2030 Commitment ...

Both AIA members and non-members can join the 2030 Commitment Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Community to connect with other 2030 signatories and receive 2030 newsletters and updates. Members should log in to their existing accounts via the AIA national website ; non-members can set theirs up here on AIA's Community Hub homepage . Then from the AIA Community Hub Dashboard, click Join a KC or Member Group . and select 2030 Commitment Peer-to-Peer Network and any other Knowledge Community or member group ( see below ). We ask that members not create a duplicate record to complete this process. Our Member Support team can help resolve any login ...

Join 2030 & Materials signatories at AIA25 AIA 2030 & Materials Pledge Open Forum What does the AIA 2030 Commitment and Materials Pledge mean for your firm's practice? At our first-ever joint AIA Climate Action Signatory Open Forum, you'll connect with fellow signatories and other peers, hear from AIA leaders, learn about the high-level RY24 data trends, and attend roundtable discussions on embodied carbon, reporting strategies, firm culture, software tools, and other topics. Whether you're a 10-year signatory or just starting out, you'll have the chance to leverage the AIA 2030 Commitment and Materials Pledge signatory networks and connect ...

By: Jesse Walton , AIA and Daniel Overbey, AIA As Co-Chairs of the AIA 2030 Working Group, we are hitting the ground running in 2025. Through our collective work , the AIA 2030 Commitment continues to serve as a vehicle for high impact climate action in the building sector. WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH ED IN 2024 The latest edition of the 2030 By The Numbers attests to the impact of our collective action. In the last reporting period, 490 signatory companies reported a little over 3.9 billion gross square footage across 24,742 projects and 116 countries through the DDx. These projects ...

Jesse Walton, AIA, LEED AP BD&C | Mahlum Architects | 2024-25 2030 Working Group co-chair With over 20 years of experience working with educational clients, I am dedicated to creating sustainable, healthy spaces for learners of all ages. As a project architect and energy efficiency specialist, I collaborate closely with design teams and district staff to maximize efficiency. An early adopter of BIM, I am a leader in Revit documentation, building envelope design, and building and energy code compliance within our office. I co-chair the National AIA 2030 Working Group, advocating for enhanced data collection, visualization, and communication. I currently ...

The Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) industry is often cited as a primary contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. While the climate challenges from emissions are significant, our opportunities to create positive impact are even greater. And this gives me a lot of hope for the future. At Autodesk, we see architects as essential to decarbonizing our built environment. We know that by working together, we have the opportunity to enable you with better products and technologies to help you achieve your decarbonization and sustainability goals. Here is the good news. The technologies and tools you need for new workflows, ...

Minoro .org , developed by Grimshaw and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, is a new , free online tool th at aggregates carbon reduction guidance and references into a comprehensive dashboard . According to the user g uide , “Minoro is the Latin word to reduce . Given today’s climate emergency and the need to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment it seemed apt.” The Minoro web-based dashboard provides a visual, step-by-step resource for carbon reduction guidance , detailing key actions and responsibilities for building project stakeholders, organized according ...

Dear 2030 community, On behalf of the 2030 Working Group , we want to send a much-appreciated thanks for your firm’s continued participation in the program. This year, our Working Group and staff have been hard at work on two exciting projects that we’re excited to share updates on below: This year’s 2030 By the Numbers report has signs of hope within it, including the number of firms reporting data, the number of projects reporting Embodied Carbon Intensity (ECI), all electric buildings, and renewable energy. But the data also shows there is clearly more to do as predicted Energy use Intensity ( pEUI ) and ...

I have long admired the transparency that many of my peers are sharing 2030 reporting results , started b y Michelle Amt , Director of Sustainability and Inclusion at VMDO , with their firm’s radical transparency . T his blog continues that spirit , diving into L MN Architects ’ data process and firm culture . LMN is a large firm based in Seattle and has been a 2030 Commitment signatory since 2010 , reporting a 25% reduction that first year . T his year we finally surpas sed the Architecture 2030 Challenge threshold of 80% pEUI reduction ...

In the beginning of June, the AIA Conference on Architecture and Design was held in Washington, D.C. for the first time since 2012. The city welcomed over 13,000 attendees , including many who are passionate about ensuring that the A&D profession moves holistically towards creating a more sustainable built environment. Conference programming included sessions on decarbonization, sustainability and firm culture, data visualization, embodied carbon, and tours of net zero projects in the DMV area . AIA24 was also the place where ahead of the Day 1 Keynote on the Main Stage , Ali Zaidi, White House National Climate ...