By Meg Calkins
Humanity is now bending the greenhouse gas emissions curve downward for the first time but not fast enough. Global emissions are only estimated to fall by 10 percent by 2035. As we fall short of emissions targets, adaptation to climate change is becoming more critical than ever.
Landscape architects have an important role to play here – in using nature-based solutions to help communities reduce emissions and adapt to excess stormwater, extreme heat, and coastal inundation at the same time.
Last month, I had the honor to represent ASLA as a designated observer at the 30th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil where I advocated for our work on climate resilience and identified ways we can help global efforts to measure adaptation to climate change.
C40 Cities estimates that by 2050, rising sea levels will threaten over 800 billion people in 570 cities around the world, and rising average summer temperatures of over 95 F (35C) will threaten 1.2 billion people. The scale of the climate adaption problem is immense, and the only way to know if we are making progress toward climate resilience is to measure key targets.
Progress on Measuring Adaptation
In 2015, the Paris climate agreement set the Global Goal on Adaptation. But targets and indicators for how well a country is adapting to climate change have never been officially established. Determining indicators for tracking progress toward climate adaptation and securing finance for these efforts were key areas of negotiation among the countries at COP30.
But how do countries, regions, and projects measure progress toward climate adaptation? To move forward the Global Goal on Adaptation, negotiators arrived in Belem to debate a list of 100 indicators in seven thematic categories (see image below).
As I followed the discussions, I was astounded at how many of the indicator categories our work as landscape architects touches and how Landscape Architecture 2040: Climate and Biodiversity Action Plan offers detailed actions to achieve many of these indicators.
For over a decade, landscape architects have recognized the importance of measuring the performance of our projects. We collaborate with researchers to measure:
- Stormwater quantity and quality
- Heat islands
- Carbon emissions
- Carbon sequestration
- Air quality
- Biodiversity
- Resource efficiency
- Waste reduction
- Recreation benefits
- Health outcomes
- Economic benefits
Working with researchers and other professionals, landscape architects have developed many protocols for measuring landscape performance. These techniques are evolving, and new protocols are being developed. We are increasingly measuring our project performance so we can better demonstrate their performance and economic benefits to policymakers and clients.
We can potentially broaden our role in addressing climate adaptation by sharing our techniques with local, state, and federal governments around the world. The time is right because policymakers are now beginning to measure progress toward the 59 voluntary adaptation indicators that were approved by the end of the conference.
Finance for Nature-based Solutions and Adaptation
Landscape architects’ challenge in implementing nature-based solutions is often financial. So we must continue to make the economic case for these solutions over traditional gray infrastructure.
The two presentations I gave at COP30 focused on the economic benefits realized from landscape architect-designed nature-based solutions. These benefits include reduced damage costs from severe weather events, economic development around publicly accessible sites, and increased human health outcomes from cleaner air and access to nature.
Some of the statistics I emphasized:
- A recent study by the World Resources Institute found that every dollar spent on climate adaptation can create more than $10 in benefits over 10 years. These benefits are environmental, social and economic.
- Nature-based solutions can be constructed for 5-30% less and maintained for 25% less than traditional gray infrastructure.
- The World Bank estimates that a $1 investment in nature-based adaptation for climate change results in $4 of environmental, social, and economic benefits through avoided losses and reduced risk.
- The Trust for Public Land reports that 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.
Finance was also a sticking point for the COP30 adaptation indicators. Several Least Developed Countries (LDCs) tied climate finance shortfalls to indicator negotiations. Climate impacts fall disproportionately on LDCs even though the US, the UK, Europe, and China have been the major GHG emitters.
At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan last year, the developed world, including the EU, UK, US, and Japan, agreed to help raise at least $300 billion per year by 2035 for climate action in developing countries. But at COP30, LDCs maintained that this target is not enough and the final Belém Package agreement tripled developed countries’ commitment to adaptation funding by 2035. This increased funding could lead to additional work for landscape architects worldwide.
Subnational Climate Leadership for Resilience
This was the first time since the inaugural COP in 1995 that the US did not send an official delegation to Belém. The US pulled out of the Paris Agreement for the second time this year, although climate action is increasing in several US states and cities.
Subnational climate leadership was emphasized by many speakers and policymakers at COP30. California Governor Gavin Newsom and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham both spoke about the climate policies they have put in place in their states, including solutions for climate adaptation through provision of ecosystem services, and climate mitigation through renewable energy and low carbon construction material policies.
Landscape architects have long recognized the importance of local climate leadership because many of our projects are urban and suburban. Every one of our projects that include climate resilience strategies is a form of climate advocacy. Therefore, making connections with local policymakers, publicizing our work in mainstream publications, and measuring project benefits will broaden our role in addressing the climate crisis.
Given 60 percent of the area projected to be urban by 2050 has yet to be built, we have a tremendous opportunity to contribute to climate resilience through our landscape architecture and community design work.
Meg Calkins, FASLA, FCELA, is chair of the Task Force that developed Landscape Architecture 2040: Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan. She is author of Details and Materials for Resilient Sites: A Climate Positive Approach.