“We decided to focus on the role of beauty,” explained Maria Landoni, ASLA, PLA, founder of Sur Landscape Architecture and curator of an online discussion organized by the ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Committee.

Beauty plays an important role — it helps people emotionally connect to landscapes. Through that connection, people are more likely to value the biodiversity that make places beautiful and functional. And then they are more likely to invest in protecting and restoring landscapes.

Uli Lorimer, director of horticulture with the Native Plant Trust, understands the beauty of wild landscapes and wants to bring that beauty to more American public spaces. He views this as a critical effort because 30-40 million hectares of native vegetation in the U.S. has been lost to development. “This is equal to all national and state parks combined,” he said. Much of that land has been covered with more than 63,000 square miles of lawn.

Despite this loss of native landscape, the U.S. is still an ecologically rich place. There are more than 20,000 native tree and plant species that provide a range of ecological functions — from habitat for pollinators to stormwater management.

To bring more of these beautiful and functional plants to more people, Lorimer called for applying “ecological horticulture.” This approach supports the genetic diversity of plants, ensuring non-uniformity, resilience, character, and climate adaptation. “Look at skunk cabbage that grows in the wild — no two flowers are the same.”

At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York City, where Lorimer once was a gardener, the team designed a garden based on the New Jersey Pinelands, a unique 1.1 million acre ecosystem designated by UNESCO as Biosphere region. The goal was to transfer some of the wild beauty of the pinelands to the garden in Brooklyn, a space surrounded by tall buildings.

“We intentionally planted small trees, which establish themselves better. We brought in a combination of ruderal and annual plant species, including milkweeds, ashers, and goldenrods” — some of which were cultivated from seeds from the pineland landscape.

Lorimer highlighted the project to raise a key point: “There is a big disconnect between beauty and diversity in the wild and what you can purchase for projects.”

Plants can be propagated from seeds or cuttings. Large-scale nurseries find taking cuttings faster and easier. Seed-grown plants result in diverse sizes and are therefore seen as riskier.

“Most plants are also cultivated to be pretty, not for ecological function. They do next to nothing for pollinators, like the 4,000 species of bees in North America, 25 percent of which are specialists that rely on particular plants.”

The Native Plant Trust, where Lorimer currently works, grows all plants from seeds. Three-fourths of seeds are collected from the wild. The Trust produces 50,000 plants from 300 species each year. Lorimer said this is just a very small portion of the total number of plants produced each year. “In some areas of the U.S., like California, there may be many native plant nursery options, but in other areas nothing.” Demanding high-quality native plants will help more people understand their value.

“For a long time, I suffered from plant blindness,” said Dawn Dyer, ASLA, PLA, principal, Studio-MLA. “It’s easy to have a lack of awareness about different types of plants. We are taught in school about animals but not plants.”

The project that helped her see is the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, where Studio-MLA designed multiple gardens to serve as spaces for students, educators, and visitors. The landscapes’ 14 garden zones offer “tangible experiences” of different Californian habitats.

The gardens were designed to be beautiful but also provide food or shelter for birds, butterflies, spiders, insects, and lizards. Dyer focused on four zones Studio-MLA designed: the transition garden, living wall, urban wilderness, and commons. Each garden has a unique plant community.

In the transition garden, silk floss trees attract birds and butterflies. The crevices of the living wall are filled with rosemary, grapes, and succulents. “Pollinators and birds love it. And people keep stealing the dudleya plants.” And in the urban wilderness zone, there are native ferns and oaks around a pond, which provides a shelter for a range of species. “When I saw a hawk there, I knew we were successful.”

Studio-MLA planted more than 600 new plants from 200 species and more than 140 new trees. The new trees helped increase the shade canopy by 50 percent. Approximately 70 percent of the plants are native. “The gardens have led to an increase in biodiversity — naturalists have made more than 11,000 observations of more than 800 species.”

The projects is designed to help others not be blind to plants. “The hawks, monarchs and bees show what the plants can do.”

Kelly D. Norris, plantsman and artist, said we have a limited vocabulary when trying to describe the beauty of landscapes. “We need to expand the language of aesthetics and create a pattern language. Designing landscapes is a process. It’s not just about the components of the design but about time; how landscapes change over time and be resilient.” Norris said the role of the designer is to “align aesthetic intent with ecology.”

Designers will benefit from spending time in nature, reading the landscape. He offered an example of a landscape that had “collision” of two gradients, which led to different soils, amounts of water, and plant communities. These kinds of collisions inspire Norris — they show that “landscapes aren’t single entities but strands of greater ecological cloth.”

Norris showed how he studies the natural spatial arrangements of plants in the wild to understand how plant density and dispersion changes over time. These quantitative analyses help him create a model for distributing plants in designed landscapes; a model that results in beauty and ecological support. “Resilient plantings emerge when aesthetic principles align with ecological processes.”

“Planting is also an act of disturbance in ecological terms. When we plant with intention, we can have a significant impact on the landscape. We can profoundly change a place.” He said “many designers oversimplify because of a fear of complexity.” But designers can lean into the complexity. They can bring density and a diversity of species together, creating visual complexity. They can create zones that are aesthetically intricate but also characterized by fineness and subtle contrasts.

COP30 Has Big Plans to Save the Rainforest. Indigenous Activists Say It’s Not Enough, Grist, November 14
The government of Brazil launched the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), which aims to provide greater financial incentives to countries to protect their tropical forests. To receive funds from the TFFF, countries will need to pass on 20 percent of what they receive to Indigenous communities. Indigenous groups argue what’s really needed is stronger land rights for Indigenous peoples and greater recognition for the key role they play in managing carbon sinks and biodiversity.

Deadly Heat Worldwide Prompts $300 million for Climate Health Research at COP30, Reuters, November 14
The number of heat-related deaths has increased more than 20 percent since the 1990s, reaching half a million deaths each year. And wildfire smoke was linked with 150,000 deaths last year. To scale up solutions to extreme heat, air pollution, and climate-sensitive infectious diseases, the Rockefeller Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and more than 30 other foundations have formed the Climate and Health Funders Coalition, which aims to accelerate new research, policies, and innovations.

Car-dominant Texas Needs More Public Transit to Meet Mobility Demands, TxDOT Report Says, Texas Tribune, November 11
Texas is developing its first statewide multi-modal transit plan, with new goals for public transportation for rural and smaller urban areas and intercity rail. In a poll commissioned by the department, 86 percent of Texans said it’s at least somewhat important to improve the state’s public transportation network. While the plan is viewed as a major step forward, there is skepticism about whether the tens of billions needed for new infrastructure will be allocated.

The Ground Beneath Our Feet Is the Next Carbon Battleground, Architect, October 30
Meg Calkins, FASLA, professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning at NC State, talks about her new book Details and Materials for Resilient Sites: A Climate Positive Approach. It provides landscape architects with strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and incorporating “resource-efficient materials” and mixes for stone, concrete, asphalt pavement, aggregates, brick, wood, metals, and plastics. “As more than 80% of the life-cycle emissions come from the production, transport, maintenance, and disposal of construction materials, we must radically shift the way we design and detail these sites and infrastructure,” Calkins said.

Biodiversity Gets Its ISO Moment: Nature Accounting Arrives, Forbes, October 20
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released a new standard – Biodiversity for Organizations: Guidelines and Requirements – which organizations can use to measure, manage, and report on their biodiversity risks. “Until now, there has been no globally agreed standard for integrating biodiversity into strategies and operations. That lack of a common framework has led to fragmented approaches and growing confusion as nature-related risks and expectations increase,” said Noelia Garcia Nebra, head of sustainability and partnerships at ISO.

Delegates will highlight the key role of landscape architecture strategies in increasing resilience for people and communities

ASLA will be represented by three delegates at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. This is the fourth year ASLA has been an NGO observer to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) process.

ASLA’s delegates:

• Meg Calkins, FASLA, FCELA, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, North Carolina State University, and Chair, ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan Task Force. Focuses on nature-based climate mitigation strategies, author of Details and Materials for Resilient Sites: A Climate Positive Approach, and a founding member of the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES).
• Marcelo Tomé Kubo, International ASLA, PhD, landscape architect, urban planner, and botanist and managing partner, Patricia Akinaga Landscape Architecture, Environmental Planning, and Urban Design. Focuses on urban nature-based solutions and Brazilian flora diversity and evolution and has been a National Geographic Explorer since 2021.

And the landscape architect delegate of the Government of Thailand:

• Kotchakorn Voraakhom, International ASLA, Founder, Landprocess and Porous CIty Network; Chair, Climate Change and Biodiversity Working Group, International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA). Focuses on lifting up Global South voices on climate adaptation and nature-based solutions since COP26 (2021).

“Brazil has hosted this COP at the gateway to the Amazon rainforest because they know climate and nature are interconnected. Landscape architects also know that the problems and solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises must be addressed together,” said ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA. “This is the year when we need to scale up investment in nature-based solutions that increase our ability to adapt to climate change, create gains in biodiversity, and lead to economic growth. ”

“Landscape architecture helps ensure nature-based solutions provide even greater adaptation and resilience benefits for urban, suburban, and rural communities,” Calkins said. “There are now so many smart, proven design approaches worldwide that show how these solutions reduce flood, storm, and heat risks; store carbon; increase biodiversity; and generate economic value. Landscape architects around the globe have proven ability to work with policymakers and communities to design these solutions to create stacked economic, ecosystem, social, and health benefits.”

At COP30, ASLA will co-host From Shoreline to Skyline: Resilient Infrastructure, Buildings, and Coastal Planning for a Changing Climate, a session in the Resilience Hub, organized by the Government of Peru, in the Blue Zone on November 13, 7:30 – 8:30 AM EST. The event is co-hosted by Arup, the World Green Building Council, and Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) at BRAC University.

During the session, Calkins and Voraakhom will outline how landscape architects design nature-based solutions to increase resilience while maximizing the economic and other co-benefits of these solutions at the same time.

Landscape architecture delegates will also present at these blue zone sessions:

Nature at Work: Advancing Climate Resilience through Ecosystem-Based Solutions
Government of Thailand Pavilion, Blue Zone, November 11, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM EST.

Highlights Canadian and Brazilian leadership in landscape-based adaptation, showcasing cross-sector approaches that integrate biodiversity, infrastructure, and local livelihoods for resilient development.

Presenters:

• Marcelo Tomé Kubo, International ASLA, PhD, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
• Alan White, Representative, International Association of Horticultural Producers
• Dr. Sitarrine Thongpussawal, Director of Knowledge Development and Dissemination Subdivision, Office of the National Water Resources, Government of Thailand
• Kotchakorn Voraakhom, International ASLA, Founder, Landprocess (moderator)

Undoing the Damage, The Retrofit Urban Revolution with Nature: Action Pathways for Livable, Thriving, and Resilient Cities
Government of Thailand Pavilion, Blue Zone, November 11, 2025, 9:00 to 10:00 AM EST.

Explores how urban landscapes can be redesigned to restore ecological function, reduce emissions, and enhance community well-being.

Presenters:

• Meg Calkins, FASLA, FCELA, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
• Dr. Bruno Marques, President, International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA)
• Hugh Lim, Executive Director, Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore
• Simone Sandholz, Head of Programme, Urban Futures & Sustainability Transformation, United Nations University (UNU-EHS)
• Kotchakorn Voraakhom, International ASLA, Founder, Landprocess (moderator)

Sustainable Amphibious Home: Achieving 13 SDGs in Climate-Vulnerable Bangladesh
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Pavilion, November 11, 1:20 to 2:20 PM EST

Presenter:

• Sharmin Nahar Nipa, Coordinator of Research, Capacity Building & Partnership Development, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), BRAC University

Discussant:

• Meg Calkins, FASLA, FCELA, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

Water as Leverage
Government of Thailand Pavilion, Blue Zone, November 13, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EST

Organized in collaboration with Dutch and Southeast Asian partners, this interactive session will explore how integrated urban water projects can catalyze climate adaptation and equitable urban transformation.

Presenters:

• Meike van Ginneken, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Kotchakorn Voraakhom, International ASLA, Founder, Landprocess (moderator)

Paris at 10: The 10th Anniversary of the Paris Agreement
Government of Thailand Pavilion, Blue Zone, November 19, 11.30 AM – 12.30 PM EST

Fosters discussion on how ambition, implementation, and equity have evolved over the past decade and what the next phase of global climate cooperation demands.

• Susan Biniaz, Principal Deputy Special Envoy for Climate, U.S. Department of State
• Michael Weisberg, Deputy Director, Perry World House
• Jimena Leiva Roesch, Head of Peace and Sustainable Development, International Peace Institute
• Khadeeja Naseem, Senior Advisor on Climate Negotiations, International Peace Institute
• Kotchakorn Voraakhom, International ASLA, Founder, Landprocess (moderator)

At COP30, Calkins, Kubo, and Voraakhom will also share the vision outlined in the recently released Landscape Architecture 2040: Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan. They will explain how landscape architects design nature-based solutions to create multiple benefits for people and communities:

1) Strengthened Resilience
Healthy, biodiverse landscapes that store carbon in trees, plants, and soils increase communities’ ability to adapt to climate impacts – such as extreme heat, flooding, drought, and sea level rise. Nature-based solutions can be designed for urban, suburban, and rural communities to bolster resilience over the long-term.

2) Going Beyond Net-Zero
Landscapes are the most efficient way to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and store carbon. Through smart planning and design, landscapes can achieve zero emissions and double sequestration by 2040.

3) Increased Biodiversity
Nature-positive landscapes are the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems and efforts to achieve the goals of protecting and restoring 30 percent of ecosystems by 2030 (30 x 2030). Biodiverse landscapes are more resilient to climate impacts and better at storing carbon.

4) Improved Health and Livability
Accessible public landscapes, such as parks and recreation areas, provide proven physical and mental health benefits that reduce healthcare costs and increase community cohesion. All communities should benefit from nature-based solutions in an equitable way.

5) Expanded Investment and Sustainable Livelihoods
When woven into communities, nature-based solutions become resilient assets that lead to increased investment in housing, infrastructure, and public amenities, and create sustainable local livelihoods. In the U.S., investments in parks and green space can generate between $4 and $11 for every dollar invested, due to increased tourism, improved property values, and enhanced community health.

“Landscape architects can play a critical role in building the insurance case for nature-based solutions,” said Talley Burley, manager of climate risk and insurance at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

In an online discussion on insurance and nature-based solutions moderated by ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA, Burley encouraged landscape architects to continue to innovate with these solutions and work with clients to lower risks. “Nature-based solutions are emerging, but replication and scalability remain difficult.”

Over this spring, EDF assembled nearly a hundred experts on insurance and nature-based solutions for a workshop. That dialogue resulted in the report Nature for Insurance and Insurance for Nature. It identified ways to use nature-based solutions to reduce risk and increase insurability. “The goal is to drive a nature-positive approach through insurance.”

The report also highlighted research being conducted by insurers and universities. For example, Swiss Re found that nature-based property protections in Florida, like mangroves and wetlands, reduced the frequency of insurance losses by 40 percent. And a study from University of California Santa Cruz found property protected by mangroves saw a 12 percent reduction in hurricane insurance premiums.

While these studies are promising, nature-based solutions still aren’t well accounted for by insurance companies. This is because “their catastrophe models don’t reflect natural solutions. The use zoomed out data that is not granular or localized,” Burley said.

“Their risk models also aren’t updated regularly. A landscape architecture project may reduce risk in an area, but that isn’t factored into the model and won’t be in a timely way.”

Talley said there are small-scale examples of nature-based solutions reducing risk. But the insurance discounts for these projects are nominal. “Insurers still need more data on nature-based solutions. They are looking for: How much less damage is there? How consistently do these solutions perform?” This is an area where landscape architecture firms and educators can help.

In an era of growing climate threats, the need for new approaches to insuring property couldn’t be greater. “Climate change is driving an increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters,” Burley said.

In 2023, there were $250 billion in economic damages from storms, floods, wildfires, and other disasters. But insured losses were significantly lower at $95 billion. “Too few people are insured for disaster, and in many communities, it’s difficult to find insurance at all.”

Approximately 85 percent of homeowners have traditional homeowners’ insurance. But that doesn’t cover flood insurance, which is separate and provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The cost of both homeowners’ insurance and flood insurance continues to increase.

And in Florida, Louisiana, and California, some insurance companies have pulled back on offering coverage all together, leading to significant losses in property values. “The only way to lower the cost of insurance and increase access to it is to lower risk,” Burley said. Climate adaptation approaches like nature-based solutions are a way to do this.

Boston’s city government is now investing in city-wide nature-based solutions to lower a range of climate risks. Their goal is to collect enough data to prove the efficacy of these solutions, so they can lower insurance rates for entire neighborhoods and fund multi-billion-dollar, multi-decade-long risk reduction projects.

Christopher Osgood, director of climate resilience for the City of Boston, said the city is facing three significant climate risks: coastal flooding, extreme heat, and increased stormwater.

Coastal flooding is a particular challenge because the city has 47 miles of coastline and much of the interior of the city is in the floodplain, which will only expand with sea level rise. The city is focused on current flooding, anticipated flood pathways in the city by 2030, and then transforming the entire city’s coastline.

The city has already undertaken more than decade of planning to reduce risks. “And now we are embarking on a decade of implementation,” Osgood said. The city has worked with leading landscape architecture firms like SCAPE, Sasaki, and Stoss Landscape Urbanism to develop plans that leverage a mix of nature-based and grey solutions.

Across the city, demonstration projects and data collection on flood risks and the efficacy of these projects are underway. More than a dozen short- and long-term projects to reduce flooding are in progress, including parks, shorelines, sea walls and storm surge barriers, and deployable flood walls.

Osgood said the city is collaborating with federal and state governments, local municipalities, transportation system authorities, and public and private property owners to plan, design, and finance district-scale investments. “The complexity of financing, ownership, and context is driving the way we are approaching this work.”

Boston’s interest in nature-based solutions for flood reduction is driving new conversations with insurance companies. In the near-term, the city seeks to accelerate recovery for individuals, families, and communities that experience flooding. “This involves Boston joining the Community Rating System in which communities can accrue points for risk reduction efforts,” Osgood said.

“If communities achieve a certain level of points, there is a reduction in the costs of insurance. Part of this is ensuring that nature-based solutions like habitat restoration are properly scored, so all the work landscape architects do can go to accruing points.” Parametric insurance is another approach the city is looking into.

In the mid-term, Boston is looking at how to reduce the consequences of flooding on a property insurance level. “This entails retrofits to property to reduce the costs of insurance.”

And over the long-term, the goal with insurance companies is to “reduce the probability of flooding,” he said. “How do we think of the insurance sector as a potential source of support for these larger-scale, multi-billion dollar, multi-decade projects across the city? This involves collaborating with other sectors to reduce the likelihood of climate impacts.”

“There is work we need to do to create a causal link between lower risk and nature-based approaches. We must collect data to show that these nature-based solutions work — that they reduce risk and actually improve our neighborhoods. We need to provide quantifiable benefits in the way the insurance industry embraces.”

The need to research the efficacy of these solutions led the City of Boston to partner with the Stone Living Lab, a unique organization that also counts as partners Boston Harbor Now, the University of Massachusetts Boston’s School for the Environment, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the National Park Service, and the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.

Joe Christo, co-director of the lab, said the lab provides a model for cross-sector collaboration on nature-based solutions. The group has used sites in Boston and eastern Massachusetts to explore solutions that provide multiple co-benefits, like sea walls that also enhance biodiversity.

They are also “collecting real-time data, 24/7, 365 days a year” on flooding in South Boston. The lab brings together scientists and policymakers into a network to discuss long-term policy solutions. These kinds of cross-sector collaborations are needed to move forward the case for nature-based solutions with insurers and communities.

Mario Schjetnan and Grupo de Diseño Urbano Win 2025 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize, ArchDaily, October 15 
The Oberlander Prize jury said Mexican landscape architect Mario Schjetnan, FASLA, and Grupo de Diseño Urbano are a “strong voice for social engagement and environmental justice in tandem with the art of landscape architecture.” Their portfolio of projects are a model for “delivering public landscapes as essential infrastructure in a rapidly urbanizing world.”

The Nature Finance Myth We Must Bust to Save Biodiversity, Forbes, October 15
New research from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership states that conservation finance projects are typically viewed as providing low returns, but this misses the opportunities of embedding nature into “everyday financial decisions” that offer “real potential for rapid scaling.” Banks can better assess nature risk in their loan processes and insurers can offer better terms for nature-based solutions.

Record Leap in CO2 Fuels Fears of Accelerating Global Heating, The Guardian, October 15
The World Meteorological Organization reports that the global average concentration of carbon dioxide increased by 3.5 parts per million (ppm) to 424 ppm in 2024, the largest increase since measurements began in 1957. Scientists point to a number of factors to explain the increase: continued use of fossil fuels, expanding wildfires, and the diminished capacity of natural carbon sinks like oceans and forests to absorb carbon.

Biodiversity Loss Due to Land Use Change Could Be Highly Underestimated: Study, Mongabay, October 14 
A study of Colombian bird life found that clear-cutting forests to create pastures resulted in 60 percent more damage to biodiversity than previously thought. The research has implications for global efforts to achieve 30 x 2030 goals, because it finds that habitat protection in landscapes with high amounts of biodiversity can’t be achieved through a standardized approach.

Reed Hilderbrand’s Cambridge Urban Forest Master Plan Puts Time-Tested Climate Science into Practice, The Architect’s Newspaper, October 1
Landscape architects and city governments in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and elsewhere seek to reverse urban tree loss with ambitious urban forest plans. The goal of these plans is to protect existing trees, increase tree canopy, expand trees in underserved neighborhoods, and engage communities in long-term stewardship.

Pope Leo Condemns Climate Change Critics, BBC News, October 1
“Some have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming, and even to blame the poor for the very thing that affects them the most,” said the Pope at a conference marking the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the first encyclical focused on the environment and climate change published by the Vatican.

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and ASLA Fund Announce New Industry-wide Plan to Address Climate and Biodiversity Crises

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and ASLA Fund have released a new plan to address the climate and biodiversity crises together. Landscape Architecture 2040: Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan charts a pathway for landscape architects to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions in their projects and operations, increase carbon sequestration, and protect and restore biodiversity in an equitable way by 2040. It is a significant update of ASLA’s first plan, which was released in 2022.

The new Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan was developed by a high-profile Task Force of five landscape architects and educators, chaired by Meg Calkins, FASLA, professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning at North Carolina State University.

• Meg Calkins, FASLA, Chair
• Diane Jones Allen, FASLA, Equity Lead
• Jennifer Dowdell, ASLA, Biodiversity Lead
• Mariana Ricker, ASLA, Climate Lead
• Andrew Wickham, ASLA, Advocacy Lead

The task force worked with a 34-member Advisory Group of climate, biodiversity, equity, and advocacy experts.

The plan outlines a bold vision. By 2040, all landscape architecture projects will simultaneously:

• Achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and double carbon sequestration from business as usual.
• Protect, conserve, restore, enhance, and manage biodiversity.
• Provide significant economic benefits in the form of measurable ecosystem services, co-benefits, and livelihoods.
• Address climate and biodiversity injustices, amplify the power of communities, and increase the equitable distribution of climate and biodiversity investments.

“Our new plan represents a major shift. We know that the problems and solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises are intertwined. So, we have developed an ambitious plan for addressing both crises – through landscape architecture,” said ASLA President Kona Gray, FASLA, PLA. “This approach builds on decades of work by landscape architects on climate and biodiversity. The new plan unifies the nature-based planning and design strategies that best address both challenges at the same time. We also seek to ensure communities benefit from these solutions in an equitable way and see real economic gains.”

“Landscape architects can help communities undo the rapid loss of ecosystems and biodiversity. We can speed up our work to achieve global biodiversity goals – protecting and restoring at least 30 percent of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems by 2030 (30 x 30),” said ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA. “At the same time, we will continue to help communities reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, sequester more carbon, and address worsening climate impacts, like extreme heat, flooding, drought, sea level rise, wildfire, and air and water pollution.”

Landscape Architecture 2040: Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan is organized into two volumes – one for ASLA members, which include landscape architects and designers, educators and students, product manufacturers and material suppliers, and one for ASLA and ASLA Chapters.

Both volumes are organized around four key goals:

• Climate: Scale up climate positive approaches
• Biodiversity: Protect, conserve, restore, enhance and manage
• Equity: Amplify the power of people and communities
• Advocacy: Advance climate and biodiversity action through leadership and engagement

The new plan is designed to act as a resource and guide the climate and biodiversity work of landscape architecture firms and organizations of all sizes. It will also direct all ASLA climate and biodiversity programs and investments from 2026 to 2030. Collective goals and actions will be revisited and updated in 2030 and every five years until 2040 and beyond.

“Climate change and biodiversity loss are impacting the health, safety, and welfare of our communities. Landscape architects are the only professionals who are uniquely qualified to address climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity in our work. We improve health outcomes, provide ecosystem services, and create strong economic outcomes,” said Meg Calkins, FASLA, Chair of the Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan Task Force.

Calkins will represent ASLA and highlight the vision and goals of the Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP30 in Belém, Brazil. ASLA has been an official non-governmental organization observer of the COP process since 2022.